South Korea: MERS outbreak has ‘leveled off,’ watching for more cases

SEOUL (Reuters) – A health official said South Korea’s outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) appeared to have leveled off, after authorities reported just one new case on Friday, bringing total infections in the country to 166. “Given the current developments, we have judged that it has leveled off, but we need to watch further spread, further cases from so-called ‘intensive control’ hospitals,” Kwon Deok-cheol, the health ministry’s chief policy official, told a news briefing. (Reporting by Tony Munroe and Ju-min Park; Editing by Paul Tait)
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Moody’s says MERS poses risk to South Korean economy, signs outbreak slowing

Employees from a disinfection service company sanitize the floor of Gimpo International Airport in SeoulBy Jack Kim and Christine Kim SEOUL (Reuters) – An outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) threatens to deal a blow to South Korea's economic recovery, Moody's Investors Service said on Thursday, as the Health Ministry reported three new cases, the lowest daily increase in 17 days. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the outbreak was a "wake-up call" but does not constitute a global emergency. There have been signs that the outbreak, the largest outside of Saudi Arabia may be slowing.

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North Korea says hit by worst drought in 100 years

By James Pearson and Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea has been hit by what it describes as its worst drought in a century, which could worsen chronic food shortages in a country where the United Nations says almost a third of children under five are stunted because of poor nutrition. The North’s KCNA news agency said late on Tuesday that paddies around the country, including the main rice farming regions of Hwanghae and Phyongan provinces, were drying up for lack of rain. “The worst drought in 100 years continues in the DPRK, causing great damage to its agricultural field,” KCNA said, using the short form of the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
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