The health of a South Korean man who was confirmed to have Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in China has worsened, according to China's state media Monday.

The 44-year-old Korean man arrived in Hong Kong on May 26 and went to the southern Chinese province of Guangdong by bus after his father was infected with MERS. He was confirmed to be infected with the virus on Friday and is now being treated at a hospital in the southern city of Huizhou.

Citing Guangdong health authorities, China's state news agency, Xinhua, said the health of the Korean man "has worsened," without elaborating further.

In South Korea, the number of patients infected with the virus rose to 18 as of Monday.

Meanwhile, a state-run newspaper, the China Daily, reported Monday that the number of people who had been in close contact with the Korean man rose to 77 in Guangdong.

Among them, 64 have been quarantined while 13 others, including

11 passengers on a bus to Huizhou boarded by the man, have remained out of contact.

None of the quarantined people have showed any symptoms of the virus, according to the report. (Yonhap)