KUWAIT CITY, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait has detected first confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 among U.S. soldiers who used the Gulf Arab state as a transit point, the state news agency reported on Saturday, citing a Health Ministry official.

    Kuwaiti health officials discovered the U.S. soldiers were infected with the fatal flu when they arrived in Kuwait, Health Undersecretary Dr. Ibrahim Al-Abdulhadi told the official KUNA news agency.

    The U.S. soldiers were completely quarantined in their military base located in Arifjan, 70 km south of the capital city, he said, noting that the American soldiers were given appropriate medication.

    The undersecretary, however, did not give the number of the infected cases.

    Most of the infectees have left Kuwait already and the rest were treated in the hospital of the military base and would be leaving the country later, said Al-Abdulhadi.

    Kuwait is safe from the novel flu and was following recommendations and measures of the World Health Organization (WHO), he affirmed.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait confirmed the H1N1 flu virus among U.S. military personnel assigned abroad, including soldiers transiting via U.S. military bases in Kuwait.

    In a statement, the embassy said, "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."

    It said the individuals infected have been isolated and treated by U.S. military doctors at U.S. military facilities, noting that "they have not come into any contact with the Kuwaiti population."

    The embassy added that the U.S. and Kuwaiti governments "have closely coordinated monitoring and response measures."

    According to the WHO's recent tally, 11,168 cases of influenza A/H1N1 were confirmed worldwide with 86 deaths since the first suspected cases were reported in Mexico in mid-April.

    Special Report:  World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu