Kuwait has confirmed that some US soldiers, who used the country as a transit point, were infected with Swine flu, the first such case in the Gulf state, a local report has said.
The confirmation came after a US newspaper report claimed that 18 American military personnel in Kuwait bases tested positive for swine flu.
Health Ministry Undersecretary Ibrahim Al-Abdulhadi told Kuwait's official news agency KUNA that the US soldiers were quarantined at their military base.
"Each case was characterised as mild flu-like symptom," US military told Kuwait Times in a statement.
"All but ... A couple have been treated and returned to duty," it said without providing further details.
The US embassy here however said that the soldiers did not come into contact with the Kuwaiti population.
"We are aware that H1N1 influenza cases have been tentatively confirmed among US military personnel assigned abroad, including soldiers transiting via US military bases in Kuwait," the embassy told the news paper.
"The individuals concerned have been isolated and treated by US military doctors at US military facilities. They have not come into any contact with the Kuwaiti population," it said.
{{/usCountry}}"The individuals concerned have been isolated and treated by US military doctors at US military facilities. They have not come into any contact with the Kuwaiti population," it said.
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