Fifth MERS death: South Korea scrambles to contain outbreak

The chief master sergeant initially tested positive for MERS on Wednesday. Because he showed no symptoms of the illness, he received further testing which reconfirmed that he has MERS. The sergeant had received treatment for his Achilles heel at the same hospital as the first MERS patient in Korea, who became sick after visiting four Middle Eastern countries, CNN reports. There are no other diagnosed cases of MERS on base, according to a statement released by Osan Air Base on Thursday. But six civilians and 64 soldiers -- all Koreans -- remain under quarantine in their barracks to prevent further infection on the base. The Osan Air Base, located south of the capital Seoul, was built by the United States during the Korean War. MERS doesn't transmit easily MERS does not easily spread between humans. But concerns over the spread of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome has prompted the closure of more than 1,000 schools. The syndrome, which surfaced only three years ago, is not well understood. Because the virus is still fairly new, doctors and scientists do not know the exact source or mode of MERS transmission. The South Korean outbreak, which had its first case on May 20, involved 64 confirmed cases and five deaths as of Saturday evening, the country's health ministry said. The vast majority of the cases are hospital clusters and the deaths were among people with pre-existing health conditions. Experts from the World Health Organization who have dealt with MERS are coming to South Korea to assess the pattern of the virus spread and to look at public health response efforts. The outbreak in South Korea has been the largest outside of Saudi Arabia -- where the virus was discovered. Read more