It was unclear whether the adviser, Mohammad Mirmohammadi, 71, had come into contact with the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 80. Even so, it heightened an already chaotic outbreak and raised concerns that vulnerable parts of the Middle East would be hit hard. The government confirmed at least 1,501 infections, but public health experts expressed concern that the official numbers were unreliable.

At least seven other prominent officials have also contracted the virus, including one who recently sat near President Hassan Rouhani at a cabinet meeting.

“There is a real sense of panic and anxiety. People are barricading themselves in their homes,” says Farnaz Fassihi, a Times reporter who has been covering Iran. “The feeling of uncertainty is exacerbated by the public’s lack of trust in the information provided by the government. From what we hear, it’s a catastrophe unfolding.”

Here are the latest updates and maps of where the virus has spread.

In South Korea: Lee Man-hee, the 88-year-old founder of the church at the center of South Korea’s outbreak, apologized that so many patients were tied to Shincheonji — but he still maintained that the church had not contributed to the epidemic, even as he faces potential criminal charges.

Elsewhere around the world: The U.S. announced new cases in New York and Florida as its death toll rose to five people, and the European Union was officially on high alert as its cases soared and residents were told to prepare for larger outbreaks.