North Korea 'to close its borders to tourists' due to concerns over the spread of Ebola

There have been no reported cases of the Ebola virus in North Korea, although it has sealed its borders in the past because of health concerns

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un during an inspection tour of a newly-built housing complex in Pyongyang on October 14, 2014

North Korea is to close its borders to tourists from Friday over fears of the spread of Ebola, it has been claimed.

Tour operators specialising in trips to North Korea have said officials in Pyongyang were barring entry to all foreign tourists.

There have been no reported cases of the Ebola virus in North Korea, although it has sealed its borders in the past because of health concerns.

Other travel agents have confirmed the news, which they said had arrived through official channels in Pyongyang and Beijing.

Nick Bonner of Koryo Tours, a travel group based in Beijing, said: "It is unknown how long this closure will be in effect, and due to the very changeable nature of DPRK policy, we are still hopeful we will be able to run the three tours we have scheduled for the remainder of 2014."

It was not immediately clear if the ban included members of the diplomatic or business community with ties to Pyongyang.

The World Health Organisation has estimated at least 4,877 people have died in the world's worst recorded outbreak of Ebola. Nearly 10,000 cases had been recorded by October 19, although the true toll could be three times higher.

Mr Bonner said: "In 2003, the country closed its borders due to the threat of SARS, despite not a single case being reported there."

Additional reporting by Reuters