Patna: A total of 44 confirmed cases of dengue have been reported from across the state till Thursday.

Out of this, 24 cases have been reported within the jurisdiction of Patna Municipal Corporation and the rest from other districts. Similarly, 19 cases of chikungunya have been reported so far, out of which 14 are from Patna, said a senior health department official.

Ragini Mishra, the epidemiologist at the State Health Society, said none of the cases detected so far were serious, as they were normal dengue fever.

She said dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome were serious conditions as in this the platelet count of the patients dips drastically increasing complications for the patient.

So far as free dengue test is concerned, one can avail it at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) and Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS). Among the districts, the test can be availed at Gaya-based Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH), Bhagalpur-based Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JLNMCH), Muzzafarpur-based Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital. "Of the 24 cases found in Patna, 16 were diagnosed at RMRIMS and the rest at PMCH. All 14 chikungunya cases of Patna were detected at RMRIMS," said the official.

According to sources, patients found to be infected with dengue and chikungunya have travel history of visiting places such as Vishakhapatnam, Bangalore where many cases of dengue and chikungunya have been reported.

"If we consider the trend of the last three years, we have found that people come with infection from outside the state and Aedes Aegypti mosquito gets infected when it bites the infected person and when the mosquito bites another person, he/she gets the virus," said the official.

"Dengue wards have been created at all the medical college and hospitals, where patients are being kept in isolation. The health department has instructed all hospitals to stock up medicines which have to be administered to the dengue patients," said Ragini.

She said people can inquire by calling on the number 104 issued by the health department. In case a locality is waterlogged, which increases the possibility of breeding of Aedes Aeygypti mosquito, which carries dengue virus, one can approach the district malaria office for conducting anti-larvae treatment. One needs to call 7070519094 to get in touch with the office.