SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea on Saturday reported no additional deaths and no new cases from its Middle East Respiratory Sydrome (Mers) outbreak, raising hopes that the country is winning the battle to contain the deadly virus.

The number of fatalities remained unchanged at 24 and that of confirmed cases stayed put at 166 over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said.

It was for the first time in 16 days that no new cases were reported, it said.

Six more patients recovered and were released from hospital, cutting to 106 the number now under treatment.

A total of 36 people have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

The ministry on Friday reported one new case, the lowest rate of new infections in two weeks, saying the outbreak appeared to have started subsiding since the first case was diagnosed on May 20.