FILE PHOTO: North Korean farmers work in a field of a collective farm in South Hwanghae province, September 30, 2011. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
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SEOUL, June 19 (Reuters) – North Korea has dispatched medical crews and epidemiological investigators to a province battling an outbreak of an intestinal disease, state media reported on Sunday.
At least 800 families suffering from what North Korea has dubbed an “acute enteric epidemic” have received help in South Hwanghae province so far.
Enteric refers to the gastrointestinal tract and South Korean officials say it could be cholera or typhoid.
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The new outbreak, first reported on Thursday, is putting further strain on the isolated country as it battles chronic food shortages and a wave of COVID-19 infections.
On Sunday, state news agency KCNA described the prevention efforts, including quarantines, “intensive screening for all residents,” and special treatment and monitoring of vulnerable individuals such as children and the elderly.
A national “Rapid Diagnosis and Treatment Team” is working with local health officials and measures are being taken to ensure farming is not disrupted in the key agricultural area, KCNA said.
Disinfection work will be carried out, including sewage and other waste, to ensure the safety of drinking and household water, the report said.
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Reporting by Josh Smith; Edited by Daniel Wallis
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