SEOUL, July 2 (Xinhua)

-- One more case of infection with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was added in South Korea Thursday, marking the first case in five days, the health ministry said.

The patient 183 was a nurse at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, where 88 people, or 48 percent of the total, were infected, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The 24-year-old woman was estimated to have contracted the corona virus while taking care of other infectees.

With the one case being added, the combined contagions increased to 183 since the first case was identified on May 20.

It was the first contagion since June 27 when one more infection case was added. In the past four days, no MERS case has been identified, boosting hopes for the end of the MERS spread.

The health authorities are expected to declare the end of the MERS crisis by the end of July if no MERS cases are added for the next four weeks.

No death was added, leaving the death toll at 33.

Five patients were discharged from hospitals as they completely recovered after being infected. The discharge number totaled 102, topping 100 for the first time.

The number of those quarantined declined from 2,451 on Wednesday to 2,238 Thursday. Some 1,785 people have been ordered to stay at home, and 453 are isolated at government-designated hospitals.