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South Korea confirms fifth Mers death Sixth Mers death in South Korea amid sharp rises in cases
(1 day later)
Fourteen more cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) have been confirmed in South Korea and a fifth person has died, health officials say. A sixth person has died after contracting Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) in South Korea, amid a sharp rise in infections.
The total number of patients has risen to 64, making it the biggest outbreak of Mers outside the Middle East. More than 23 people were confirmed to have contracted the disease on Sunday, bringing the total to 87, health officials say.
The person who died was a 75-year-old man who had been in a Seoul hospital alongside other sufferers. It is the biggest outbreak of Mers outside the Middle East.
More than 1,600 people have now been quarantined, in a bid to stop the spread of the virus. About 2,300 people have been placed under quarantine and nearly 1,900 schools have been closed.
Mers was first indentified in humans in 2012 and originated in the Saudi Arabia. On Monday morning, a man in his 80s became the latest person to die of Mers-related illness in Daejeon, about 140km (87 miles) south of Seoul.
It is caused by the coronavirus and can cause fever, breathing problems, pneumonia and kidney failure. On Saturday a 75-year-old man died after contracting the virus. He had been in a Seoul hospital alongside other sufferers when he became ill.
Of the 14 new cases in South Korea, 10 were at the same hospital in Seoul. Close contact
All of the confirmed infections have taken place in healthcare facilities, officials said. Seventeen of the 23 new cases were infected at the Samsung Medical Centre in Seoul, the health ministry said.
All the infections so far have been confined to hospitals with transmission occurring between patients, staff and their families in close contact.
Health officials have released the names of the 24 hospitals - mainly in Seoul and the province of Gyeonggi - involved in the outbreak.
Mers, caused by a type of coronavirus, can result in fever, breathing problems, pneumonia and kidney failure.
The first case in South Korea was a man who became infected during a business trip to Saudi Arabia, where the disease was first identified three years ago.
Medical authorities have been criticised for the way they have handled the outbreak.Medical authorities have been criticised for the way they have handled the outbreak.
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon accused central government of not providing enough information to citizens about the virus. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon accused central government of not providing enough information to citizens about the virus. But Health Minister Moon Hyung-pyo rejected the claim, saying such comments risked increasing public concern.
But Health Minister Moon Hyung-pyo rejected the claim, saying such comments risked increasing public concern.
Mers has a death rate of 27%, according to the World Health Organization.Mers has a death rate of 27%, according to the World Health Organization.