Bahraini.TV

Gulf hit by fresh swine flu cases

by mahmood on 18/06/09 at 8:02 pm · email  · print  

Saudi Arabia on Thursday reported yet more fresh cases of swine flu as countries across the Gulf see an alarming jump in the number of A(H1N1) infections.

Saudi’s Health Ministry said late on Thursday in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that it had registered seven new cases of the deadly virus, bringing the total in the kingdom to 29 – the highest of any Gulf country.

The ministry said three cases were registered in Riyadh, three more in Medina and one case in Jeddah as swine flu continues to spread at an alarming rate in the kingdom, which will see millions of pilgrims descent on the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in the coming months.

The annoucnement comes just a day after the ministry identified five new cases, including a 2-year-old boy and a 9-year-old boy.

Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman also reported new cases of the deadly flu virus on Wednesday, as the total number of infections across the Gulf hit a worrying 77.

Kuwait confirmed two new cases, bringing its total to 24 – including 18 U.S. soldiers, while Qatar identified its third case and Bahrain its 15th. Oman announced its first swine flu cases in three students returning from the U.S.

UAE official news agency WAM announced late on Tuesday that laboratory tests confirmed an unnamed Emirati man had been infected with swine flu, the Gulf state’s second case.

Yemen has reported one case of A(H1N1).

Swine flu has infected 35,928 people in 76 countries since the disease was first uncovered in late March, and 163 people have died, according to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) data.