The first confirmed case of swine flu in Gujarat was reported on Saturday. The patient, a Thai national named Somjai Kaphueak (28), had come to Gujarat as part of a crew to take back a Thai ship from Kandla port.

The patient had flown to Mumbai, where the crew was assembled, and had later flown to Kandla on July 1.

The blood and throat swab samples of the patient were sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) in New Delhi after the patient approached the port health officer, complaining of symptoms generally associated with swine flu. The NICD confirmed it to be a positive case of H1N1 virus.

This was the fourth suspected case in the state and the first to test positive with the deadly flu. In all the earlier suspected cases, patients had reported similar symptoms of respiratory problems after returning from countries afflicted with swine flu. As on Saturday, Thailand has already recorded seven swine flu deaths, while around 1,845 people have been detected with the virus.

Meanwhile, symptoms of the virus have receded in the patient, who has now been kept at the Kandla Port Hospital now and will remain there till July 10, along with four other crewmembers who have been quarantined.

The four patients are Itthiphon S, a Thai national; Santiago D, Gonzales R U and Llauderes K O, all Filipino. They had joined Kaphueak on his flight to Kandla at the Mumbai airport.

State Principal Secretary (Health) Ravi Saxena said on Sunday: “The crew had come by air to Mumbai and then to Kandla. The Health Department has also identified co-passengers who had travelled in the three rows ahead and behind the patients, and they are now being monitored. They are likely to have been infected but have not been quarantined at the moment. The patient, who has tested positive, is doing fine. He along with the four quarantined patients will be allowed to return after proper treatment and the final follow-up, which will be over by the 10th of this month.” Meanwhile, the Thai ship has now been berthed at Mundra and will begin its return journey on July 7 or 8.