Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus

South Korea announced on Dec. 23 the official end to a deadly outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) that killed 36 people and sparked widespread panic in Asia's fourth-largest economy.

South Korea reported three new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome on June 21, bringing the total to 169 in the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia, but Thailand said it had no new infections.

South Korea said June 19 that the MERS outbreak that has killed 24 people appears to have begun subsiding, as it reported one new case - the lowest rate of new infections in two weeks.

This brought to 166 the total number of confirmed cases of the disease in the country since the first was confirmed on May 20, the health ministry said.

South Korea believes its MERS virus outbreak may have peaked, and experts say the next several days will be critical to determining whether the government's belated efforts have successfully stymied a disease that has killed nine people and infected more than 100 in the country.