Kuwait, Saudi Arabia hit by new swine flu cases

Kuwait's Health Ministry reported on Monday the 16th swine flu case in the Gulf state, identifying the victim as a national who returned from Egypt.

The patient, a male in his 20s, is receiving treatment at the Infectious Diseases' Hospital, Ministry spokesman Dr Yousef Al-Nisif said.

Those in contact with the patient would be tested and given precautionary treatment as directed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), he added in comments published by KUNA News Agency on Monday.

Eight of the Gulf state's previous swine flu victims have now left hospital after making a full recovery, he told KUNA.

In Saudi Arabia, seven more swine flu cases were registered, bringing the total number of these patients to 75, the Saudi Health Ministry said in a statement released on Monday.

It said that the cases were of a 16-year-old national in Riyadh, a 28-year-old citizen in Al-Jubail and a 30-year-old Lebanese in Al-Dammam.

The two Saudis were infected with the virus as a result of local mingling with patients.

Other cases involved a 28-year-old national in Riyadh, who had come from the Philippines, a 24-year-old Filipina in Al-Jubail who was in her country, a 55-year-old Filipino in Al-Jubail, who had also returned from home, and a 26-year-old national in Nejran who had travelled to New Zealand.

The latest WHO statistics indicate that more than 59,000 people were infected with the swine flu virus (HINI) in 76 countries and that most of them made full recovery, with 263 people losing their life to the virus.

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