Riyadh  - Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health on Saturday confirmed two new cases of the A(H1N1), or swine flu, virus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the kingdom to eight.

The two cases, a Saudi woman and a Saudi man, returning separately from the United States, were admitted to two hospitals in Riyadh and the eastern province city of Dahran.

On Thursday night, Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry announced that a three-year-old child had become the third case of the virus in the kingdom. On Friday, the ministry announced that three of his family members had also tested positive for the virus.

The boy and his family had also arrived in Saudi Arabia from the United States last Sunday as well.

The kingdom's first case of swine flu, a Filipino nurse in her 40s, was discovered on June 3. She arrived in Riyadh after spending her vacation in her home country.

On Thursday, World Health Organisation Director-General Margaret Chan raised the swine flu alert system to Phase 6, declaring the first flu pandemic in more than 40 years.

Nearly 30,000 cases have been reported to the WHO from 74 countries, including 141 fatal cases. The centre of the outbreak was in Mexico and the United States. (dpa)