South Korea: 14 new cases, 122 people infected with MERS

(Baonghean.vn) - South Korea today (June 11) confirmed 14 more cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), bringing the total number of people diagnosed with the potentially deadly disease to 122, according to Yonhap news agency.

Of the 14 new patients, eight were infected while visiting the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, according to the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. The hospital, one of the largest medical facilities in the South Korean capital, was the source of the infection after unwittingly treating a MERS patient before he was diagnosed with the disease.

South Korean children wear masks to prevent MERS. Photo: CNN

South Korea has reported nine deaths linked to MERS since the outbreak began on May 20. The country's Ministry of Health and Welfare added that no additional deaths have been reported.

MERS is a viral respiratory illness that is relatively new to humans. The first case was reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. About 1,100 cases have been confirmed in more than 20 countries, mostly in and around the Middle East. The disease has a very high mortality rate, reaching more than 40% before the outbreak in South Korea. In that country, the mortality rate remains below 10%.

Thu Giang

(According to Yonhap)