HEALTH-MERS/SOUTH KOREA Number of people with MERS rises to 15 in South Korea

Record ID: 149614

  • Title: HEALTH-MERS/SOUTH KOREA Number of people with MERS rises to 15 in South Korea
  • Date: 31st May 2015
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (MAY 31, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SOUTH KOREAN MINISTER OF HEALTH AND WELFARE MOON HYUNG-PYO WALKING TOWARD PODIUM JOURNALISTS AT NEWS BRIEFING NEWS BRIEFING IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREAN MINISTER OF HEALTH AND WELFARE MOON HYUNG-PYO SAYING: "Since the first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) w
  • Embargoed: 15th June 2015 13:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7ERX9JAL3H5Z6LU8Q56SPEKYH
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: South Korea on Sunday (May 31) confirmed that 15 South Koreans have been infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus.
    "Since the first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was confirmed on May 20, we have now confirmed that a total 15 people have MERS," South Korea's Minister of Health and Welfare Moon Hyung-pyo told reporters.
    The first man was diagnosed with the disease on Wednesday (May 20) after a trip to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where the disease broke out, according to South Korean health ministry.
    A rise in MERS cases has stirred alarm in South Korea. The health minister said that the government is fully committed to preventing further transmission.
    "The government sees next week as the point for MERS to spread further or the point at which it can be defused. We will put all effort into preventing tertiary transmissions," Moon added.
    Earlier in the day, Moon visited the Korean Medical Association and held a meeting with doctors to prevent the spread of the virus.
    First identified in humans in 2012, MERS is caused by a coronavirus from the same family as the one that triggered China's deadly 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. There is no cure or vaccine.
    Last week, South Korea's Health Ministry said there were 1,142 cases of MERS in 23 countries and 465 deaths had been reported by May 16 worldwide.
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