Derelict water mains and inadequate
refrigeration have spawned an outbreak of hemorrhagic colitis in North Korea, giving
cause for residents to coin the summer monsoon period, “colitis season.”
A source in North Hamgyung Province
reported to Daily NK on August 21st, “Recently a lot of people are wracked with
abdominal pain brought on by the illness,” and “It’s not just children and the
elderly either, young people are just as susceptible.”
10-20% of residents in each region have
been affected by the illness. It spreads quickly, he said, “If I get it today,
someone else will contract it tomorrow. In the past, many died from this type
of sickness, but these days the medicine brought in from China has helped to
save lives.”
The heat and humidity of monsoon season
usher in a host of unavoidable maladies to the North, hemorrhagic colitis being
one of the most dominant. Heavy rains hit the North at the end of June, four to
five days later than their southern counterpart, and ease up near the end of
July. A dearth of sanitary drinking water is cited as the predominant factor in
contracting the disease.
“There are pumps to filter the tap water
flowing in from polluted pipes, but it’s generally not enough to remove the
harmful bacteria [E.coli] that causes the infection,” he explained.
Oppressively high temperatures and moisture cause food to spoil rapidly, and
residents to eat the contaminated remains. “Insufficient and intermittent
supplies of electricity prevent refrigerators from functioning properly, though
most households don’t even possess one to begin with,” he went on to say,
pointing out other circumstances that can bring on the condition.
Hermorrhagic colitis is a type of
gastroenteritis in which certain strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli
[E.coli] infect the large intestine and produce Shiga toxin, leading to bloody diarrhea
and other serious complications. Severe abdominal cramps begin suddenly along
with loose stools. Symptoms can range from mild diarrhea and cramping to severe
diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloody stools, nausea, and vomiting. “Last year most
people just had abdominal pain and diarrhea; this year, however, most everyone
has experienced blood in their stools.”
Despite the pervasive nature of the illness,
the North Korean authorities have not proposed any countermeasures. The broken
healthcare system and lack of medical supplies prompt most people to turn to
self-diagnosis. “The Terramycin [an anti-infective that has been proven
effective against a wide variety of infectious diseases] available domestically
does not have the intended effect, leaving many people dehydrated and prone to
convulsions.” Antibiotic resistance from abuse of the drug is common; in the
past, if any options were available, it was one of the only ones.
Refraining from food and drinking salt
water are the most commonly practiced self-remedies. Colon cleanses,
Synthomycin [an anti-inflammatory drug], or UN-supplied antibiotics, all
available for purchase at the markets, are other typical methods people employ
as cures.
However, the majority of the pills
available at the market are counterfeits, over 80%, according to our source,
manufactured by individuals at home. Those most severely afflicted, and in critical
condition, resort to ingesting raw or cooked opium to find relief.
“Most are aware that North Korean drugs are
counterfeits, so they only purchase medications manufactured in China,” the
source said, then warning, “You can’t always trust the Chinese pills either, so
most people purchase vials of Levomycin [an antibiotic manufactured in China]
and use it in an intravenous drip [IV], asserting it to be the most effective
and trusted treatment available.”
Levomycin costs approximately 4 RMB in the
market; a 500ml IV drip comes to an additional 4 RMB. Those suffering from this
particular strain of colitis require a minimum of 10 Levomycin vials and
components for five or more IVs to combat the symptoms and overcome the
disease.
“Those inflicted often purchase the
medicine at the Jangmadang and go to the hospital to have the doctors there
administer the IV. Hospital staff are
completely aware that the drugs they are using have come from various
locations” but tacitly comply with the requests; if anyone, the consequences of the collapsed medical system are most
salient to them.
