The world is watching as the largest outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outside the Middle East continues in South Korea. According to the most recent figures from the World Health Organization, 30 people have been infected, two of whom have died. Hundreds of schools have been closed. The causal coronavirus, MERS-CoV, is one of many viruses that are considered potential pandemic threats. But experts do not consider this outbreak, in which all cases are hospital-associated, to have pandemic potential or even expect it to spread further within South Korea. Here are some of the reasons why.


The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV),[1] also termed EMC/2012 (HCoV-EMC/2012), is positive-sense, single-stranded RNA novel species of the genus Betacoronavirus.

First called novel coronavirus 2012 or simply novel coronavirus, it was first reported in 2012 after genome sequencing of a virus isolated from sputum samples from patients who fell ill in a 2012 outbreak of a new flu.

As of June 2015, MERS-CoV cases have been reported in over 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Turkey, Oman, Algeria, Bangladesh, Indonesia (none were confirmed), Austria,[2] the United Kingdom, South Korea,[3] the United States [4][5] and China (both mainland and Hong Kong).[6]

Almost all cases are somehow linked to Saudi Arabia.[7] In the same article, it was reported that Saudi authorities' errors in response to MERS-CoV were a contributing factor to the spread of this deadly virus.[7]

The most recent outbreak was in South Korea with over 80 reported cases, and over 2300 placed under quarantine, making it the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia. [8]

MERS outbreak: 2,300-plus quarantined in South Korea - CNN.com

worldwide*

G