North Korea is also reported to be stepping up quarantine measures to curb the spread of the deadly bird flu.

A senior official at the North’s Agriculture Ministry said in an interview with the North’s Korean Central News Agency Monday that quarantine officials have stepped up emergency operations.

The official added that the ministry is vaccinating chickens and ducks at processing plants while conducting thorough inspections to block any possible entry of the virus into the North.

Pyongyang radio covered on Sunday South Korea’s outbreak of the highly virulent strain of avian influenza in Iksan, North Jeolla Province.