[b Health officials are meeting today to discuss their response to an outbreak in Asia of Middle East Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS, which has killed ten people and infected hundreds in South Korea.
South Korean medical workers in full protective gear walk past in front of the emergency section at the Samsung Medical Centre in Seoul. Photo: AFP
No cases have been reported in New Zealand.
A Health Ministry spokesperson said officials were discussing whether to update their advice to the public on MERS.
However she said the country was well prepared in terms of the detection, testing for and management of the illness.
Both Hong Kong and Macau were warning against non-essential travel to South Korea, where 122 cases have now been confirmed, mainly contracted in hospitals.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said travellers should follow the advice of the World Health Organisation and practise normal hygiene measures.
That included frequent hand washing and avoiding close contact with animals and people who are suffering from acute respiratory infections.
