Ranchi, Aug 7 - A 22-year-old man who was reported to have run away from his home in Jharkhand's Jamshedpur city after being diagnosed as the state's first swine flu patient, remained untraceable Friday.

Gopal Kumar escaped from his home in steel city Jamshedpur to catch a flight to the US where he is studying.

He 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. An 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.