TOKYO (Sputnik) – According to the ministry, the total number of MERS cases has remained unchanged at 186 since July 5.
"The states of 16 cases are stable and those of 6 cases unstable," the health ministry said in a Saturday report.
The current number of discharged patients is 128 and the number of those under quarantine is 513.
The MERS outbreak started in South Korea in May and is largely blamed on overcrowded emergency rooms, as well as insufficient safety measures and excessive hospital patient visits.
Of the 186 confirmed MERS cases 39 are medical professionals or staff, according to South Korea’s health ministry.
MERS has limited human-to-human transmission, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
There is currently no approved vaccine for MERS. People with chronic illnesses or a weak immune system are at a higher risk of contracting the viral respiratory disease.
