title: [Epidemiological characteristics of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in the Republic of Korea, 2015].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in the Republic of Korea in 2015 and provide related information for the public health professionals in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  The incidence data of MERS were collected from the websites of the Korean government, WHO and authoritative media in Korea for this epidemiological analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between May 20 and July 13, 2015, a total of 186 confirmed MERS cases (1 index case, 29 secondary cases, 125 third generation cases, 25 fourth generation cases and 6 cases without clear generation data), including 36 deaths (case fatality rate: 19%), were reported in Korea. All cases were associated with nosocomial transmission except the index case and two possible family infections. Sixteen hospitals in 11 districts in 5 provinces/municipalities in Korea reported confirmed MERS cases, involving 39 medical professionals or staff. For the confirmed cases and death cases, the median ages were 55 years and 70 years respectively, and the cases and deaths in males accounted for 60% and 67% respectively. Up to 78% of the deaths were with underlying medical conditions. Besides the index case, other 12 patients were reported to cause secondary cases, in which 1 caused 84 infections. One imported MERS case from Korea was confirmed in China on May 29, no secondary cases occurred. The viruses strains isolated from the cases in Korea and the imported case in China show no significant variation compared with the strains isolated in the Middle East.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The epidemiological pattern of the MERS outbreak in Korea was similar to MERS outbreaks occurred in the Middle East.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Emergency Center.
authors.forename: Nijuan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China; Editorial Office of Chinese Journal of Zoonoses, Fujian Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Yanbian Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Guangxu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Public Health Emergency Center; Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Haitian
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.affiliation: Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China; Zhuzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Public Health Emergency Center; Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Public Health Emergency Center.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China; Nanjing Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Public Health Emergency Center.
authors.forename: Yali
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Public Health Emergency Center.
authors.forename: Ruiqi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China; Jinzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Xinyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Public Health Emergency Center.
authors.forename: Daxin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Public Health Emergency Center.
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Public Health Emergency Center; Email: liqun@chinacdc.cn.
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003428:Cross Infection; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065207:Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; D011634:Public Health; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology