Ranchi, Aug 6 - The 22 year-old student, diagnosed as Jharkhand's first swine flu patient, has escaped from his home in steel city Jamshedpur to catch a flight to the US where he is studying, an official said Thursday.

Gopal Kumar was confirmed to be suffering from swine flu and confined to his flat in the city, where he stays with his mother, who is a doctor.

When officials reached his home Thursday, they found him missing. A high alert has been sounded in the state and the authorities at the Kolkata airport have been informed.

'Gopal Kumar had to return to the US Thursday. He had the visa and an air ticket. He seems to have managed to sneak out of the district to catch the flight,' an official told IANS.

Gopal, who studies in Boston (Massachusetts), arrived in Jamshedpur July 23 and complained of sore throat and high fever. His throat swab samples were sent to Kolkata for test, and were confirmed positive for the disease. He insisted that he should not be quarantined but instead allowed to stay in his house.

Till now, the samples of four people suspected to be suffering from swine flu have been sent for tests. While one is from Bokaro, the other three are from Jamshedpur.