Seoul, Jun 11 (IANS): The number of South Koreans diagnosed with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) rose to 122 since the first case was discovered on May 20, the health ministry said on Thursday.

Fourteen new cases were added on Thursday, including a 39-year-old pregnant woman, according to the ministry of health and welfare. The pregnant woman has been in stable conditions, Xinhua reported.

Among the new cases were eight people contracting the virus at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul. The total number infected at the Samsung hospital surged to 55 with the eight new confirmations.

One contagion stemmed from the Hallym University Medical Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi province, increasing the total number of cases at the hospital to four.

The ministry failed to figure out where the five others came from, boosting worries about contagion from tertiary infectees outside of hospitals.

No death was added, leaving the death toll at nine.