An 80-year-old man died Monday as a result of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), increasing the death toll to six as the government confirmed 23 more cases. The total number of patients stands at 87.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Central MERS Response Team, 17 of the 23 contracted the MERS virus from the fourteenth patient at Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul.
South Korea has now reported the second highest number of confirmed MERS cases worldwide behind Saudi Arabia.
The Middle Eastern nation has seen 1,026 of its people infected with the virus, according the World Health Organization (WHO).
Six of the recently confirmed patients were exposed to patients with the virus in Dae-chung hospital and Konyang University Hospital, both in Daejeon City.
However, an official at the response team said, "The situation in Pyeongtaek St. Mary's Hospital has become more stable, and new MERS cases at Samsung Medical Center are expected to decline after this week."
Pyeongtaek St. Mary's Hospital in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, has so far reported 37 MERS cases and was where the nation's first patient was hospitalized. Thirty four patients have been infected with the virus at Samsung Medical Center where the 14th patient was treated.
The health ministry has asked the public to contact call centers if they or their family members show any MERS symptoms such as high fever or coughing by calling 120 for Seoul, 042-120 in Daejeon, and 031-120 for Gyeonggi Province.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Central MERS Response Team, 17 of the 23 contracted the MERS virus from the fourteenth patient at Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul.
South Korea has now reported the second highest number of confirmed MERS cases worldwide behind Saudi Arabia.
The Middle Eastern nation has seen 1,026 of its people infected with the virus, according the World Health Organization (WHO).
Six of the recently confirmed patients were exposed to patients with the virus in Dae-chung hospital and Konyang University Hospital, both in Daejeon City.
However, an official at the response team said, "The situation in Pyeongtaek St. Mary's Hospital has become more stable, and new MERS cases at Samsung Medical Center are expected to decline after this week."
Pyeongtaek St. Mary's Hospital in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, has so far reported 37 MERS cases and was where the nation's first patient was hospitalized. Thirty four patients have been infected with the virus at Samsung Medical Center where the 14th patient was treated.
The health ministry has asked the public to contact call centers if they or their family members show any MERS symptoms such as high fever or coughing by calling 120 for Seoul, 042-120 in Daejeon, and 031-120 for Gyeonggi Province.
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