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Source: ONE News -
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North Korea has reported an outbreak of swine flu for the first time, saying nine people had been infected in the isolated and impoverished country.
"There are nine confirmed patients in Sinuiju and Pyongyang according to the confirmation by the Ministry of Public Health," the North's official KCNA news agency said. It did not say whether there had been any deaths.
A day before the North's announcement, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said at a cabinet meeting in Seoul that his country was ready to offer unconditional help to the impoverished neighbour to fight the virus.
"We should ensure urgent assistance is provided because conditions in North Korea are not good and there's concern about rapid spread," he said.
Ties between the rivals have been frosty since Lee took office last year, ending unconditional handouts and instead linking lucrative aid to Pyongyang's moves to abandon its nuclear arms ambitions.
Relief groups in South Korea have said in unconfirmed reports the outbreak has become severe in Sinuiju, near China, leading to several deaths and the closure of schools.
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