{"id":3993,"date":"2018-12-06T11:46:04","date_gmt":"2018-12-06T02:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=3993"},"modified":"2018-12-13T14:21:22","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T05:21:22","slug":"typhoid-fever-outbreak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2018\/12\/recommendations\/typhoid-fever-outbreak\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N. Korea\uff1e Another year, another outbreak of Typhoid fever in the North"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Photo) An open-air market in Taesongsan District, Pyongyang. It is an important source of income for women operating independent businesses, however, hygiene is an issue. Photograph taken by Gu Gwang-ho in July 2011<\/p><\/div>\n

\u25c6Outbreak caused by state negligence and unsanitary conditions<\/h2>\n

Typhoid fever has spread rapidly through Hoeryong City, North Hamkyung Province, already resulting in several deaths, says a local partner reporting on November 28. With the authorities providing no medicine and taking no action to protect public health, it appears that the disease will only continue to spread.<\/p>\n

\"People have been suffering from flu-like illnesses since early November, but, last week, several cases were confirmed as typhoid fever. It is spreading rapidly. Two people have died in the district I visited- a 40-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman,\u201d said the reporting partner.<\/p>\n

\u203bTyphoid fever is an acute infectious disease caused by Salmonella bacteria in the intestines. Its symptoms include fever, diarrhea, and bleeding.<\/p>\n

The authorities appear to have no plan of action against the epidemic. According to our reporting partner, \"There was a typhoid fever outbreak last year, but the public health centers didn\u2019t provide any preventive medication or implement any countermeasures. All the authorities did was go around visiting homes and putting up posters reading, \u2018Boil water before consumption\u2019. They did nothing else. Hospitals are ordering blood tests for patients but can\u2019t prescribe medicine, so it\u2019s pointless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next page: Our reporting partner believes the\u2026 <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

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A woman carrying water home from a communal well. In order to preserve fuel, many people drink water without first boiling it. Photograph taken in central North Korea by \"Mindulle\", January 2015 (ASIAPRESS)<\/p><\/div>\n

Our reporting partner believes the outbreak can be attributed to two things: 1) poorly purified tap water; and 2) river water that people, in an effort to preserve fuel, choose not to boil before consuming at home. In addition, many open-air restaurants serve unclean water and food, which has caused food poisoning and other epidemics in the past.<\/p>\n

In October of last year, ASIAPRESS reported an outbreak of typhoid fever in Yanggang Province which resulted in several deaths. In September 2015, a separate report on the deterioration of Hoeryong City\u2019s water quality highlighted the presence of carcinogens in the city\u2019s tap water.<\/p>\n

Typhoid fever is an infectious disease most commonly observed in underdeveloped countries. Although it is the responsibility of the state to provide clean drinking water for the health and well-being of the people, the regime's negligence has led to yearly outbreaks of disease across the country.<\/p>\n

\u203b ASIAPRESS contacts its reporting partners through Chinese mobile phones smuggled into North Korea.<\/p>\n

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