South Korea reported the country's first two deaths from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) on Tuesday, saying a suspected patient was confirmed to have the virus after death and another confirmed patient also died.



The health ministry also reported six new cases of the viral disease, bringing the total to 25. The new cases included the country's first tertiary infections as two people were found to have contracted the virus from a secondarily-infected patient.



All the other cases stemmed from South Korea's first MERS patient, who came back from a trip to the Middle East.



One of the two deaths involved a 58-year-old female patient who came in close contact with the first patient. She had been listed as a suspected case until she died on Monday. Tests later showed that she was infected with the virus, officials said.



She was first admitted to a hospital on May 11 for difficulty breathing from asthma. She is believed to have had contact with the first patient at the hospital between May 15 and 17 and her condition deteriorated, officials said.



The second death was a 71-year-old man who has been listed as the sixth MERS patient. He was first admitted to the hospital on May 15 and came in close contact with the first patient May 15-17 before he was confirmed to have the virus on May 28.



The identities of the patients were all withheld for privacy reasons.



Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is a viral respiratory illness that is new to humans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. It was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since spread to several other countries.



Most people infected with MERS develop severe acute respiratory illness, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, the CDC says. Many of them have died. (Yonhap)



