SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) -- An Air Force officer was isolated at a military hospital on Wednesday under suspicions he may be infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), military officials said.

If confirmed, it would be the first case of the infection of the deadly respiratory virus in the South Korean military.

The chief master sergeant at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, whose identity was withheld, tested positive for MERS, the officials said.

They said the military instantly isolated him and some 100 soldiers stationed at the same air base at a military hospital and their homes to prevent further infection on the base.

"We isolated a number of soldiers suspected to have contracted the disease to prevent its spread by minimizing others' contacts with those we suspect are infected," one of the officials said requesting not to be named. "The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will determine whether he has been infected or not on Thursday or later," the official said.

The officer previously had been hospitalized for a fracture at a civilian facility in Gyeonggi Province that treated MERS patients, based on which the military conducted epidemiological research.

He, however, is not showing symptoms of the disease such as a fever or cough, the officials said.

South Korea has placed more than 1,300 people in quarantine with 30 testing positive for the respiratory virus since the first case of the disease was reported on May 21. On Tuesday, two of the 30 MERS patients died, sparking panic among some locals and forcing over 500 schools to close.