A man in Germany has died of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) following a trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Health Ministry of the German state of Lower Saxony announced the death of the 65-year-old man on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, the man died on June 6 in the western town of Ostercappeln.

The Health Ministry added that the man had contracted the virus during a trip to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, in February. His death has reportedly shocked doctors as he was undergoing successful treatment and had almost recovered.

According to the German newspaper Die Welt, there is no indication that the man has infected any other individuals in the country.

The case was reportedly the first registered MERS infection in the European country in two years.

There have been two other cases of MERS in Germany. In March 2013, a 73-year-old patient from the United Arab Emirates died in the city of Munich and another patient underwent treatment in the city of Essen.

The virus has spread to South Korea, where a total of 19 people have so far died in an outbreak that began in the country in May.

The first case of the infection in South Korea, which has registered the largest outbreak outside the Middle East, was identified when a 68-year-old man tested positive with the virus after returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia on May 20.

MERS was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. The disease is part of the corona virus family of viruses, which includes the common cold and SARS. It can cause symptoms such as fever, breathing problems, pneumonia and kidney failure.

IA/HSN/HJL