South Korea has confirmed that a third person has died from the Middle Eastern Respiratory System (MERS) Virus on Thursday. This is the 36th case in South Korea, the most to ever occur outside of the Middle East. Following this recent outbreak, more than 1,100 schools have been closed and more than 1,500 people who are thought to have been directly exposed to the virus have been asked to participate in a voluntary quarantine. It has been reported that the virus was brought into the country by a man returning from a business trip to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Neighboring countries such as North Korea and China are taking extra precautions in an attempt to keep the virus at bay, however China has already confirmed one case in Hong Kong.
According to the WHO, MERS has caused 442 deaths worldwide. The virus is thought to be spread from close person to person contact and approximately 27% of patients with MERS have died.
Keep updated on the spread of MERS on Reuters.com