Patna: First four cases of dengue related to this monsoon have been reported at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) but the cases are from Nalanda, Gaya and Munger.

Ramesh Kumar, 24, of Nalanda and Gaurav Kumar, 21, of Munger were tested positive for dengue through Elisa test at PMCH on August 21, while Pradeep Kumar, 30, from Nalanda was detected with dengue on August 16 and Rajendra Parasad Yadav, 65, from Gaya was diagnosed with the vector-borne disease on August 9.

The patients had turned up at the outpatient department of the PMCH and all were advised to continue treatment at their home as they were suffering from normal dengue fever and not the two other critical stages of the disease, including dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome, in which complications arise.

"Patients suffering from normal dengue fever need not be hospitalised. In other two stages of dengue, the platelet count of the patient dips because of which he/she has to be infused with platelets," said Ragini Mishra, the state epidemiologist working at State Health Society.

She added that out of the four patients, only one has an outside-travel history. "Ramesh Kumar from Nalanda, who was diagnosed with the disease on August 21, had visited Hyderabad where many cases of dengue have been reported. The other three dengue patients have no travel history. This means they have been locally infected." She said so far 11 cases of dengue have been reported but the other seven were not related to this monsoon as they were reported in May and June.

Sources from the health department said so far no private or government hospital had confirmed dengue case detection through rapid diagnostic test. While private hospitals conduct rapid diagnostic test to confirm the disease's presence, the rapid diagnostic test is conducted in sadar hospitals and other health facilities that come under the civil surgeon's office.