South Korea Reports Three New MERS Cases, Total Number of Cases Rise to 169

The three new MERS infections came a day after South Korea reported no new cases, raising guarded hope that Seoul was winning the battle to contain the virus.

As health authorities remained vigilant about the spread of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, South Korea reported three more cases of MERS, including two medical workers. This has put the total number of those infected with MERS at 169, said the health ministry.

The two medical staff include a doctor who treated a MERS patient at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, seen as the epicenter of the outbreak where more than 80 people were infected. Another was a medical worker who took X-rays of a MERS patient at another hospital in Seoul.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) - Causes Symptoms Treatment Prevention
MERS, a newly discovered respiratory disease, was recently reported in the Arabian region. MERS is caused by a virus similar to that causing common cold and other respiratory illnesses.

The number of new patients had been falling for the previous three days. People exposed to patients and quarantined at state facilities or at home also fell to 4,035 from a height of more than 6,700. The latest numbers came a day after South Korea reported no new MERS cases, raising guarded hope that Seoul was winning the battle to contain the virus.

The ministry said, "A total of 43 people have so far recovered and were released from hospital, including seven from Friday to Saturday."

Source-AFP

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