NEPALGUNJ: A youth returning from India this morning was quarantined in the isolation ward of the Bheri Zonal Hospital after he was suspected of having H1N1 virus infection.

According to Ram Bahadur Chand of the District Public Health Office Banke, Bhupendra Malla, 22, of Rukum's Kotjahari VDC-8, was taken to the isolation ward after he showed similar symptoms like that of swine flu patients while getting his health checked at the health desk set up in Nepalgunj, in the Indo-Nepal border.

He was returning from Gadubal of India's Himanchal Pradesh. He has been kept under the surveillance of Dr Prakash Khatiwoda.

Hospital superintendent Dr Shyamsundar Yadav said further investigation was underway on Malla's case. He said that further tests would confirm Malla's case as he was the only person with such symptoms.

Meanwhile, Chand informed that the health desk set up at the border of Nepalgunj had checked 430 persons till Saturday. Swine flu has already triggered panic in neighbouring Licknow of India following diagnosis of a patient last week.

Meanwhile, Peace for Nepal, a NGO, organised a mask distribution programme in Nepalgunj today. A large number of locals showed up to collect the masks. President of the organisation Dr Shushil Koirala said 5,000 masks were distributed. "The masks were distributed with the objective to help people prevent the flu," he said.