SEOUL, July 8 -- No case of infection with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was reported in South Korea on Wednesday for three days in a row, but the first death with the deadly viral disease was added in eight days, the health ministry said.

The total MERS infection cases were unchanged at 186 for three straight days, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The patient 177 passed away Tuesday, raising the death toll to 34 and the fatality rate to 18.3 percent. It was the first death in eight days.

The spread of the MERS corona virus recently showed signs of abating. Only one case was added for four days to Sunday. No case was reported for four days through July 1.

The South Korean government planned to declare an end to the MERS spread if 28 days, or twice the 14 days of incubation period, pass by without any case of MERS infection reported.

One more patient was discharged from a hospital as he completely recovered after being infected. The discharge number increased to 119.

Excluding the dead and those discharged, 33 patients are under treatment. Among them, 9 are still in unstable conditions.

The number of those quarantined rose from 674 on Tuesday to 811 on Wednesday.