与MERS患者密接者仍有13人未找到

According to health authorities in Guangdong, the condition of China's first MERS patient has worsened and more medical experts have been dispatched.

The patient, a South Korean national, is now receiving medical treatment in Huizhou City after testing positive for the deadly MERS virus on Friday.

Authorities said it's believed that 77 people in the province came into close contact with the man.

Among them, 64 have been quarantined while contact is yet to be made with the remaining 13.

The man flew from South Korea to Hong Kong on last Tuesday before entering Guangdong.

In Hong Kong, 18 passengers on the man's flight have been quarantined, including a high school student.

An unidentified source with the school says they have conducted sterilization on campus. But, so far, they will not require students and staff to wear masks.

"We got a phone call from the department of health on Friday afternoon, saying that a freshman in our school had been on the same flight with the man, so the student was required to be isolated and observed. The student went to school for two days after returning to Hong Kong, showing no abnormality."

Secretary for Food and Health of Hong Kong SAR government Ko Wing-man says if the quarantined people do not show any symptoms, the possibility they have spread the virus decreases.

"As for those places they have visited, if people who had close contact with the patient do not show any symptoms, the risk of the spread of the virus will decrease. And I know some places have voluntarily conducted sterilization process, which is a kind of proper action anytime since it is the first line of defense to prevent transmissions."

The 18 people will be quarantined for about 10 more days.

In South Korea, the total number of confirmed cases diagnosed with MERS has increased to 15.

Moon Hyung-pyo, South Korea's Health Minister, says the government will try its best to prevent the spread of the virus.

"The government sees next week as the point for MERS to spread further or the point at which it can be defused. We will put all effort into preventing tertiary transmissions."

South Korea's patient zero has been isolated since May 20th when he tested positive for MERS after returning from the Middle East.

MERS is a respiratory illness caused by a type of corona-virus.

Its fatality rate is around 40 percent. No vaccine or treatment for the virus is available.

For CRI, I am Yu Yang.