MANAMA - THE Gulf kingdom of Bahrain has its first confirmed case of A(H1N1) swine flu, the health ministry said on Tuesday.

'The first case is a young Bahraini man of 21 who has returned from studying in New York,' ministry spokesman Adel Abdullah told AFP.

The sick man is now in isolation and undergoing treatment, he added.

In the Gulf region the United Arab Emirates reported its first case on Sunday, while 18 US soldiers transiting through Kuwait who showed symptoms of the disease have also been repatriated.

The worldwide death toll for swine flu neared 100 on Monday with new deaths in North America, while a number of new cases emerged in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

According to the latest World Health Organiation tally, 12,515 people have been infected with A(H1N1) across 46 countries. -- AFP