MERS fear: Authorities seek 50 foreign tourists in South Korea

Health screening at the airport. Captured from KBS News.

By Jung Hae-myoung

About 50 foreigners who may have been in contact with a confirmed MERS patient during a flight to South Korea remain unaccounted for, health authorities said.

The government is tracking down 408 passengers and crew who flew to Seoul with the infected man on an Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai on Sept. 7.

The patient, 61, was diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome after a business trip to Kuwait. Twenty-two people who have had direct contact with him have been quarantined.

Authorities are concerned that the 50 foreign tourists are unaware of the health risk. Embassies are being notified to help track down their nationals who shared the flight.