Monsoon has not only brought with it a deluge of civic woes but also a deadlier bite - of the Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes - that spread dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika fever during this time of the year.

Three suspected cases of dengue have been reported at Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS) on Monday, making these the first such cases this season.

While two of the suspected cases are from Muzaffarpur, one is from Gaya. The patients have, however, not been hospitalised yet. According to experts, people need to take extra precautions in the wake of monsoon that has suddenly gained pace in India in the last few days.

"There is a higher chance of breeding of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito if the water in potholes, tyres and flower pots in houses is left undisturbed. People should check these things and if they find water accumulated there, they should get them emptied," said a health department official.

Doctors said people suffering from high fever, coupled with skin rashes, pain in the eye and bodyache, should get tests done immediately.

"One need not panic in case of normal fever. High fever coupled with pain in the eye, bodyache and joint pains are symptoms of dengue. Consult a doctor and get the necessary tests done. At present, the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold and this is a suitable temperature for the Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes to breed," said V.P. Sinha, a doctor with the medicine department of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).

He said people should not allow water to accumulate in coolers and should cover pits in which there is stagnated water. Residents can sprinkle kerosene oil in the pits in their locality where there is water stagnation problem. Use of mosquito repellent and mosquito nets while sleeping is advisable to prevent mosquito bites.

Sinha added: "Normal dengue fever is not dangerous. Patients suffering from normal dengue fever need not to be hospitalised. They are only suggested to live in isolation at home and take medicines and fluids as much as they can. The other two forms - dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome - are dangerous and involve a lot of complications. The patient needs to be infused plasma-rich platelets and he/she should be kept under constant medical supervision."

While Rapid Diagnostic test can be done at private facilities, Elisa test can be done at PMCH and Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS) to confirm the status of the disease.

As far as treatment is concerned, among government hospitals in Patna, the PMCH and the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) has dedicated dengue wards.

PMCH superintendent Lakhendra Prasad said the hospital has already readied the 25-bed dengue ward, while NMCH superintendent Anand Prasad Singh said the 10-bed dengue ward was all set.

Dengue usually strikes in the first week of September and recedes after November, when winter approaches.

Last year, dengue started making inroads in mid-July, which barely received a spell of heavy rainfall. July is historically the rainiest month of the year in Bihar and these showers play a critical role in controlling dengue by washing away mosquito larvae.

The longer spell of dengue was reflected in the hospital registers. Even in December and the first week of January, several of the city's top hospitals had dengue patients in their care.