Last MERS Patient In South Korea Has Been Re-Diagnosed With The Disease Nine Days After Being Discharged From Hospital, Says Health And Welfare Ministry

Health Ministry announced on October 1 that the last South Korean patient previously diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has tested negative for the viral disease.

The 35-year-old man has undergone two examinations before declared free of MERS virus, the Health Ministry have revealed. However, nine days after being discharged from the hospital, the South Korean patient has been re-diagnosed with the disease on Sunday, Channel News Asia reported on Tuesday.

Reports have revealed that the South Korean man is now admitted to Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) after suffering from high fever, a Health and Welfare Ministry official says in a statement.

The patient also suffers from malignant lymphoma before diagnosed with MERS. According to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the patient may not be highly infectious as only "miniscule" amount of viral DNA has been discovered during the test.

Aside from that, 61 people who have come in contact with the patient have been quarantined, including doctors and family members, as noted by Yonhap news agency on Monday.

The first case of MERS virus in the country was reported in May, and there were a total of 186 cases recorded since then. Also, some 16,000 people were quarantined.

The South Korean government reportedly criticized health institutions for their initial response on the outbreak. President Park Geun Hye allegedly scolded health officials and said that "the initial response to MERS was insufficient."

Further reports have revealed that, since July until October 12, there have been no additional cases of MERS reported. The viral disease killed 36 people in South Korea earlier this year. In July, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo Ahn announced that MERS outbreak in South Korea has ended.

"After weighing various circumstances, the medical personnel and the government judge that the people can now be free from worry," Hwang had said, as noted by Japan Times on July 28.

"I ask the public to shake off all concerns over MERS and to resume normal daily activities, including economic, cultural, leisure and school activities."

MERS is a viral disease that started in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Since it started, the viral respiratory illness has spread to different countries, including the United States and South Korea.