Local experts Prof Malik Peiris and Prof David Hui returned today with news from Korea after joining the World Health Organisation's mission to study the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak there.
Secretary for Food & Health Dr Ko Wing-man met the media after the professors briefed him on their mission, and said there is no strong evidence showing that the virus has changed. Importantly, he said there is also no evidence of a community outbreak in Korea.
He also said the Korean authorities had enhanced their anti-MERS measures as suggested by the World Health Organisation experts.
The Government will continue to closely monitor the situation in Korea, particularly in the following one to two weeks, Dr Ko added.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Health Protection recorded 23 local suspected MERS cases from noon yesterday to noon today. Of them, 22 were negative for the MERS virus in preliminary testing, while the result for the remaining case is pending.
