Seoul, Jun 6 (AFP) South Korea today confirmed nine morecases of the MERS virus, which has killed four people, butsaid it did not represent a spread of the outbreak as theinfected were already in quarantine.
The additional cases brought the total number of peopleinfected with the virus to 50.
All are among the already-listed and quarantined people ofmore than 1,660 who came into contact with those alreadyinfected before the first case was diagnosed in South Korea onMay 20, the health ministry said.
"The nine people contracted the virus (in three different)hospitals and there is no evidence to suggest anytransmissions in communities outside hospital settings", itsaid in a press statement.
Kwon Joon-Wook, a senior official of the ministry, toldjournalists today the 68-year-old man who was the first case,and his wife who contracted the virus from him, have both beencured and were released from hospital yesterday.
Two others were also waiting to be released, he said.
Four people have died since the 68-year-old man wasdiagnosed on May 20 after a trip to Saudi Arabia.
Consequently, more than 1,660 people who may have beenexposed to the virus have been placed under varying levels ofquarantine.
The outbreak has forced hundreds of schools to shut theirgates, thousands of people to cancel travel plans and dealt ablow to many businesses as people were told to avoid largecrowds.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday itwould send a team of experts to South Korea for a jointmission with the government in collecting information of theoutbreak.
The team is expected to arrive here as early as next week,the ministry said.
The WHO has said it expects more infections in SouthKorea, while stressing there was currently "no evidence ofsustained transmission in the community". (AFP)