By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THERE have been recent bird flu outbreaks in Japan and South Korea — the islands’ primary tourism markets — but there is no reason for the CNMI to be alarmed, according to acting Public Health Secretary Lyn Tenorio.
She said their department continues to monitor bird flu cases in affected countries while taking steps to prevent a similar outbreak here and preparing for it.
An outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu was reported in Miyazaki prefecture in Japan killing 4,000 poultry two weeks ago.
A similar outbreak occurred in a chicken farm in Cheonan, South Korea prompting quarantine officials there to slaughter thousands of poultry on Sunday.
There were 161 human deaths from bird flu worldwide in 2006 out of 267 confirmed cases, according to World Health Organization.