An expert team from the World Health Organization more cases of infections from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is to be expected in coming weeks as the outbreak in South Korea has turned out to be larger and more complex than in other countries.

Comments from the WHO officials came after a review of the South Korean MERS outbreak, which has just been reported to have claimed 14 lives. All 14 had pre-existing illnesses, reported The Guardian.

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The review took place after a four-day joint investigation by Korean officials and doctors. On Saturday, the team reportedly urged Seoul's government to hold stronger measures in containing the virus, despite assurances that possibility of spreading in the community is low.

"At present, the mission found no evidence the ongoing transmission is spreading across the broader community. However, continued monitoring is critical because this outbreak has been large and complex," said WHO Assistant Director-General Keiji Fukuda during a news conference. "More cases should be anticipated."

Early Saturday, the 14^th death as well as 12 new MERS infections were reported by Korean authorities. There is now a total of 138 confirmed cases, and the South Korean outbreak has fast become the largest outside of Saudi Arabia where the virus was first discovered in 2012, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Infections continue to rise, but health officials and experts say new cases are only among those already under quarantine, putting less risk of more infection.

Still, fear caused the closing of about 2,900 schools and kindergartens until Friday. Due to the outbreak, thousands remain in isolation.

Officials in the country are still hoping that the disease will start to ease up as it has reached its maximum incubation period of two weeks at the first hospital to have been infected.

However, several infected hospitals have later incubation periods and this fact is creating worry of possible new infections, according to CTV News

MERS is believed to be spreading through respiratory droplets, but infections have usually come from close contact.

The first case in South Korea has been traced to a man who have been in the Middle East during a business trip early May. The 68-year-old businessman had gone to different hospitals and clinics before the virus was positively identified as MERS.

TagsMERS to spread, MERS outbreak, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, World Health Organisation, WHO