A father-of-two has died in Bahrain from swine flu after apparently contracting the illness while on holiday in India.

Jose Arulappan Venzilause Gomez, 41, was admitted to hospital just days after he returned to Bahrain on September 1.

He was first admitted to American Mission Hospital (AMH), but was later transferred to the Royal Bahrain Hospital (RBH) where he died on Friday.

It is the first reported H1N1 fatality in Bahrain since January last year.

"He went on vacation to Thiruvan-anthapuram, capital of the Indian state of Kerala, for 15 days with his family," said a spokesman for his employer ABB Technologies.

"He went on August 15 and came back on September 1. He didn't come to the office except once to take his computer and he went back home as he was not feeling well.”

"He told us that he was suffering from flu and took sick leave.”

"His health condition deteriorated and he went to AMH on September 5, but they referred him to RBH the same day where he was diagnosed with H1N1.”

"He was in the intensive care unit (ICU), but died on Friday night. His body was repatriated to India last night.”

"We deeply regret his death and our deep sympathy goes to his wife and children," he said.

RBH officials revealed Gomez was being treated in isolation by intensive care specialist Dr Saeed Ahmed Khan.

"The patient presented at AMH with H1N1 and was incubated there and put on ventilator," said a spokeswoman.

"He was then transferred to RBH while on a ventilator due to the fact that AMH didn't have an ICU.”

"At RBH, the patient was kept in the ICU in the isolation room to keep the flu from spreading up until he passed away."

Health Ministry officials were unavailable for comment yesterday.

Gomez is survived by his wife Shoba, son Shanon and daughter Monica, who accompanied his body to India last night. – TradeArabia News Service