Beijing  - A 30-year-old Chinese man who recently returned from the United States tested positive for the influenza A H1N1 virus, the Ministry of Health said Monday.

The patient, identified by his surname Bao, was the first confirmed case on mainland China of the new strain of flu that originated in North America and has sparked fears of a global pandemic.

State-run Xinhua news agency said the patient was being treated at the Chengdu Infectious Disease Hospital, and that people having close contact with him were also isolated for medical observation. (dpa)