Washington - A US Marine is suspected of having contracted swine flu and has been quarantined at his base in California, the service said Wednesday.

The soldier and his roommate have been confined to their quarters for further evaluation, Marine Commandant General James Conway told reporters at the Pentagon. The roommate is not showing any symptoms, the general said.

The soldier sought medical attention on Saturday suffering from flu symptoms, Conway said.

"He was tested. The initial tests are that he is suspected to have the flu," Conway said.

Another 37 soldiers at the Twentynine Palms base who have had contact with the ill Marine have been ordered to stay from the mess hall and not to join troop formations, Conway said.

One of the more notorious outbreaks of swine flu took place in the US military. One soldier died in 1976 after more than 200 recruits came down with the sickness at Fort Dix, New Jersey. (dpa)