South Korea - Last MERS patient rediagnosed with disease

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(LEAD) Last MERS patient rediagnosed with disease

2015/10/12 22:41

SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Yonhap) -- The patient once thought to be the last South Korean with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has been rediagnosed with the viral disease, officials said Monday.

The 35-year-old patient, who had tested negative for the MERS virus in two tests on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, has been infected again, the Health Ministry said.

Earlier in the day, the ministry said the patient had been admitted to Seoul National University Hospital with a high fever. Doctors and relatives who had come in contact with the patient, 61 individuals in total, were quarantined.

After the patient had tested negative, the government was to officially declare the end of the MERS outbreak on Oct. 29, 28 days after the test results became available.
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http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2015/10/12/0200000000AEN20151012009151315.html

[Gert van der Hoek]

Last MERS Patient Again Tests Positive

Write : 2015-10-12 22:52:24 Update : 2015-10-12 22:55:20

A man who was the last patient to be released in the latest Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in South Korea has been quarantined again after testing positive.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said Monday that the 30-something patient, who had tested negative on October 1, visited Samsung Medical Center's emergency room on Sunday after exhibiting high fever and nausea.

The center said DNA testing on the man testing positive, adding 61 people who possibly had contact with the patient have been self-quarantined.

At an advisory conference on Monday, experts reportedly said the patient's condition is likely caused by a dormant virus and that the infectiousness is presumed to be quite low.

With the latest diagnosis, declaring an end to the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in South Korea will be postponed. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, an end to MERS can be declared after 28 days, or twice the virus’ 14-day incubation period, elapse after the last patient recovers.