In the first case of suspected swine flu, a labourer who had gone to work in Pune was today found suffering from symptoms of the disease in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.
Suraj Prakash, who reached his ancestral Bhatolia village in the district this morning from Pune, was suspected to be suffering from swine flu, Civil Surgeon (Muzaffarpur) Dr Vaidyanath Prasad Singh said.
"A team of doctors have gone to the village for confirmatory test. Prakash will be brought to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital here for check up and precautionary treatment for swine flu tomorrow," Singh said.
Meanwhile, Avinash, a student of biotechnology, who accompanied Prakash to his village from Pune, said Prakash had high fever.
Bihar government has already put the entire state on a swine flu alert, particularly towns along the Indo-Nepal international border.
State Health department has urged the Centre to set up a virology lab in the state for facilitating tests of such diseases.
All medical colleges and district hospitals in the state have been asked to reserve 10 and 15 beds for suspected cases of swine flu, official sources said.