SEOUL: South Korea on Tuesday (Jun 30) reported that one patient has died from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), but no new cases.

The number of fatalities has risen to 33, while the number of those infected with the virus remained unchanged for three days in a row at 183. 

Monday was the first time that the country had reported no additional infections as well as no new deaths since June 20.

Then, officials voiced hope that they were winning the battle against the outbreak - only to see the number of fatalities and infections rise again, sparking public criticism that their optimism was premature.

The number of new patients has generally been in decline since mid-June, when it often jumped by double digits - with many of the new infections stemming from Samsung Medical Centre in Seoul, at the epicentre of the outbreak.

The outbreak began on May 20 when a 68-year-old man was diagnosed after returning from a trip from Saudi Arabia. Since then the potentially deadly virus has spread at an unusually rapid pace, becoming the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia and sparking public alarm at home and elsewhere in Asia.

There is no vaccine for the disease, which has a mortality rate of about 36 percent, according to World Health Organisation.

The fatality rate in South Korea is about 17 percent. The outbreak has dealt a severe blow to the Asia's fourth-largest economy, with the government facing a storm of criticism for slow and insufficient response in the initial stages.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/south-korea-reports-one/1949674.html