An outbreak of the deadly Middle Eastern virus in Korea has alarmed World Health Organisation officials.
So far 25 people are known to have succumbed to the MERS virus outbreak in two weeks. Two have died.
All the victims are contacts of a man aged 68 who returned to Korea earlier this month after a trip to the Middle East.
They include relatives, patients and health care workers.
The virus emerged in the Middle East a year ago and has struck down dozens of people in Saudi Arabia. It is thought to be transmitted by camels.
WHO said the occurrence of a large outbreak outside the Middle East was a new development.
A spokesman said: "WHO is confident that investigations under way in Korea, including the sequencing of viruses and sharing of the findings, will contribute to further scientific understanding of this disease."
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