MERS infections in S. Korea increase to 138 with 12 more cases

Infections with the Middle East Respiratory syndrome (MERS) in South Korea increased to 138 on Saturday with 12 more cases added, while the death toll from the viral disease rose to 12, the health ministry said. Among the 12 new cases were four people who caught the virus from 16th patient at Daecheong Hospital and Konyang University Hospital in the central city of Daejeon between May 22 and May 30, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Two cases were infected from the 14th patient at the emergency room of the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul for two days from May 27. One of the new cases was an ambulance driver contracting the virus while transporting the 76th patient on June 5 and June 6, marking the first contagion case outside of hospitals. The remaining cases were estimated to have taken the virus at the Samsung hospital. The epidemiological study is under way for them as the test results came late at night. The 118th female patient, 67, died of the MERS infection, bringing the total death toll to 12. The fatality rate was 10.1 percent, topping the 10-percent level first since the patient zero was discovered on May 20.