Five cases of dengue have been confirmed at Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS) and Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).

The two patients at RMRIMS, a 16-year-old girl and a 30-year-old man, both from Patna district, were infected by the virus on a recent trip to Bangalore which has recently seen a rise in the number of dengue cases. The three patients at PMCH are from Motihari, Darbhanga and Nalanda districts.

RMRIMS director Pradeep Das said: "Two positive cases were found at our institution on Monday. Today, two more suspected cases have been reported over here. Both cases are from Patna."

People need not paniche added.

"Incidents of dengue are likely to rise only after the rains. The city has not received proper rainfall yet," Das said. "So we can expect fewer cases now, but after more rainfall the number may go up. Residents can take precautions such as, avoid storing water so as to keep the aedes aegypti mosquito (that carries the dengue virus) at bay."

Dr Virendra Prasad Sinha of the PMCH differed with Das. "Presently, the temperature is neither too high nor too low and this is a suitable temperature for the breeding of the aedes aegypti mosquitoes," Sinha said. "People should not allow water to accumulate in coolers and should cover pits in which there is stagnant water. Residents can pour kerosene oil in the pits of their localities where water stagnates. Use of mosquito repellents and mosquito nets while sleeping is also advised."

Dengue symptoms include high fever, body aches, pain behind the eyes and skin.

In case one finds these symptoms, one should get the Elisa test done which is more of a confirmatory test for dengue. Many private hospitals conduct the rapid diagnostic test, which is not considered to be very reliable," added Sinha. There are some common misconceptions about dengue, he said. "People consider dengue as a life-threatening disease, but it is not always so," Sinha said. Dengue is of three types - normal dengue, dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Normal dengue fever is not very dangerous. The affected individual need not to be hospitalised and is generally advised to live in isolation at home with proper medication and fluids.

"The other two forms - dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome - are very dangerous and may lead to complications. The patient will need to be infused with plasma rich platelets and should be kept under constant medical supervision."