WHO is Notified of Five Cases of MERS-CoV in the Republic of Korea

On June 5, 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of five additional confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including one death. Details of the cases are as follows:

1. A 49-year-old male developed symptoms on May 23 while admitted to a hospital since May 14. The patient shared the room with a laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV case that was reported previously. He tested positive for MERS-CoV on May 31.

2. A 62-year-old male developed symptoms on June 2  and visited the emergency room of a local healthcare facility on the same day. The patient was admitted to hospital between May 20 and 28. During this period, he shared the same floor with four patients that were later confirmed and reported as MERS-CoV cases. On May 29, the patient visited a local healthcare facility for unrelated medical conditions. He was isolated in a negative pressure room on June 2. The patient tested positive for MERS-CoV on June 3.

3. A 24-year-old male developed symptoms on May 22. Between May 22 and 28, the patient was admitted to the same hospital room as two previously confirmed MERS-CoV cases. He tested positive for MERS-CoV on June 4.

4. A 70-year-old female developed symptoms on May 31. The doctor who was involved in the care of her husband was confirmed positive for MERS-CoV on June 3. She tested positive for MERS-CoV on June 4.

5. A 45-year-old male developed symptoms on June 4. The patient was admitted to a hospital from May 14 to 27 for an unrelated medical condition. Although he did not have symptoms for MERS-CoV, the patient was isolated at home because of close contact at the hospital with MERS-CoV cases. He was transferred to another hospital for isolation on June 2. The patient tested positive for MERS-CoV on June 3.

Contact tracing of household and healthcare contacts is ongoing for the cases.

The National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea also notified WHO of the death of one previously reported MERS-CoV case.

So far, a total of 41 MERS-CoV cases, including 4 deaths, have been reported to WHO by the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea. One of the 41 cases is the case that was confirmed in China and also notified by the National IHR Focal Point of China.

Globally, since September 2012, WHO has been notified of 1190 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including at least 444 related deaths.

Source: WHO