China says South Korean traveller tested positive for Mers virus

A South Korean man who travelled to China has tested positive for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers), a potentially deadly virus, officials said.

This comes as a Hong Kong woman, who shared a flight with a male Korean patient, was rushed to hospital in Sham Shui Po today with Mers symptoms.

The 44-year-old man travelled to Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon, then travelled by bus to Huizhou in Guangdong province. His elder sister, who is in South Korea, also contracted the deadly virus.

The man had visited his father - who also contracted the virus - on May 16, then developed a fever three days later. He sought medical help on May 25 before leaving for Hong Kong the next day, it was reported.

He was found to have a fever and cough by airport medical officers at Hong Kong airport. Leung Ting-hung, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, said the man denied having any connections with Mers patients or visiting medical facilities where Mers patients were treated when checked by medical staff.

He was quarantined and tested in Huizhou city. Leung said the medical staffer who had contact with the man tested negative for Mers or influenza.

The man was among 166 passengers and crew members onboard Asiana Airlines flight OZ723 that arrived in Hong Kong, and some 10 commuters on a cross-border bus that left from the airport bus station for the Chinese city of Shenzhen.