Seoul--South Korea Tuesday reported three more deaths from the MERS outbreak but health authorities said they were cautiously optimistic the worst was over as the number of new cases was falling.
Doctors are using an experimental treatment involving the injection of blood plasma from recovered victims of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) into seriously ill patients, health officials said.
Four new non-fatal cases were also confirmed Tuesday, bringing to 154 the total number of cases including 19 deaths -- the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia.
Of the 135 non-fatal cases, 17 have recovered and been released from hospital, the health ministry said.
Of the 118 MERS cases still being treated, 16 are listed in unstable condition.
The number of new cases has been gradually declining from 12 on Friday to four on Tuesday, sparking hope the outbreak might be showing signs of easing.
"What is noteworthy is the fact that the number of new cases has been falling over the past few days," a senior ministry official told reporters.
"More cases are expected to occur sporadically but we don't expect to see new cases occur in groups," he said.
The plasma therapy is still under clinical testing but is now being used on two MERS patients at two different hospitals, Kwon Jun-Wook, a senior health ministry official, told reporters.
"Two patients are being injected with blood plasma donated by two other patients who have been cured completely," he said, adding they would have consented to the procedure.
The health ministry has approved the experimental therapy on the advice of doctors and experts, he said.
MERS is considered a deadlier cousin of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which appeared in 2003 and killed more than 800 around the world.
Plasma treatment was previously used for SARS patients and showed some positive results in seriously ill patients, Kwon said.
Most of those who have died had pre-existing health problems.
AFP
