Commentary
Suspect Fujian H5N1 in North Korea Patients
Recombinomics Commentary 11:44
June 11, 2008
The outbreak occurred last week near an air force base in Jongpyong county in South Hamgyong province, northeast of the capital Pyongyang, the Seoul-based private aid group Good Friends said
The case was first reported June 3, when several birds were found dead in a small mountain area near the military base, said the aid agency
Separately, dozens of magpies were found dead inside a political prison camp in Hwasong in North Hamgyong province, the aid group said. A prison camp official's 5-year-old child subsequently suffered a high fever and died, the group said.
The Buddhist-affiliated group that sends food and other aid to the North also said two prisoners showed similar symptoms and three others were subsequently diagnosed with an unidentified virus.
The above comments describe suspect H5N1 in birds and patients, including one fatality. Although not confirmed, H5N1 in North Korea would not be a surprise. H5N1 has been confirmed in South Korea, Japan, and southeastern Russia. In all cases the H5N1 was a reassortant with a clade 2.3.2 HA and clade 2.3.4 for the remaining seven gene segments.
In South Korea, were the number of poultry outbreaks were at record levels, one soldier who was involved in the culling developed bird flu symptoms and was H5 PCR confirmed.
The outbreaks in regions bordering North Korea suggest that suspect cases described above are caused by the same Fujian reassortant.
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