A South Korean doctor disobeyed an order to stay away from the public after contracting Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) from a patient, it has emerged.

Officials in Seoul say the doctor continued working and attended meetings involving more than 1,500 people.

Four people in South Korea have died and 41 have been infected by Mers.

The outbreak is the largest outside the Middle East, where the disease first appeared in Saudi Arabia in 2012.

Seoul officials say the hospital doctor showed symptoms on Sunday and was told to keep away from people.

However, he continued to go to meetings, authorities say.

BBC Korea correspondent Steve Evans says the fear now is that the infected doctor might have spread the illness uncontrollably.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-Soon has criticised the central government for not making more information available.

Schools closed

Our correspondent says the authorities have a dilemma – too much information may promote panic while too little information promotes rumour and unnecessary fear.

In an atmosphere of uncertainty, the public are reacting by buying masks and keeping their children away from school, he adds.

Five new cases overnight brought the total number of known infections in the country to 41.

The fourth fatality was a 76-year-old man who died on Thursday after testing positive for the virus last month.

More than 700 schools in South Korea have been closed since the outbreak began.

Mers can cause fever, breathing problems, pneumonia and kidney failure. The virus has a death rate of 27%, according to the World Health Organization.