Nine people have died in South Korea after becoming infected with Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers). There are a total of 107 confirmed cases so far in the country – and South Korea is now the worst affected country after Saudi Arabia where the disease was first reported in 2012, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) data.
Mers affects lungs and breathing tubes with symptoms including fever, cough and shortness of breath. For every 10 people affected, between three and four have died.
In total there have been 1,271 cases confirmed worldwide since 2012, according to WHO.
A traveler returning from Qatar brought Mers into South Korea last month. Since then over 2,800 people who may have come into contact with the disease have been quarantined.
One unknowingly infected patient defied quarantine orders and travelled to Hong Kong and then through south China before he was diagnosed with the illness.
Hong Kong has since issued a travel alert asking residents to refrain from unnecessary travel to South Korea.
