MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) Virus In Asia

South Korea on Tuesday reported its first deaths from an outbreak of the MERS virus that has infected 25 people, caused widespread alarm and triggered a closer watch by Asian neighbours on Korean arrivals.
The two deaths were only the second case of fatalities from MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) in Asia since a man died in Malaysia in April 2014.

In China state media said hundreds of people had cancelled trips to South Korea, while Thailand and Vietnam said they were reinforcing monitoring of inbound passengers at airports.

Hong Kong also stepped up surveillance and placed 18 people who had been seated near an infected Korean man on a flight from Seoul last week under mandatory quarantine.