South Korean man infected with MERS virus, first case in 3 years

SEOUL (Reuters) – A 61-year-old man from South Korea has been diagnosed with the potentially fatal respiratory syndrome of the Middle East.

The patient returned to Seoul on Friday after a business trip to Kuwait from August 16 to September 6, according to the KCDC.

This is the first time since July 2015 that an epidemic of MERS has been reported in South Korea.

"Up to now, 20 people, including flight attendants and medical staff, have been in close contact with the patient and are isolated at home," said KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong, at a press conference.

The patient, who was suffering from diarrhea, has gone directly to the Samsung Medical Center from the airport, Jeong said. He is now in an isolation ward at Seoul National University Hospital.

The director of the KCDC said that all flights from Middle Eastern countries had been quarantined. "KCDC and local governments will do their best to prevent the spread of MERS," said Jeong.

The infectious disease swept South Korea in 2015, resulting in 38 deaths. MERS is believed to be transported by camels and most of the known human-to-human transmission occurred in health care facilities.