Patna, Nov 7 (IANS) The Bihar government has sounded a high dengue alert after reports of over 150 cases and directed health officials to initiate preventive measures and provide treatment, officials said Friday.

"In the past 48 hours, 23 new dengue cases have been detected in Patna alone and the total number of people afflicted with the disease has risen to 80 in Patna," said health department official Sambhusaran Singh.

A total of 18 dengue patients are undergoing treatment at the special dengue ward in the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), official S. Sinha said.

Till date, dengue cases have been reported in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Siwan, Jamui, Nalanda, Aurangabad, Jehanabad, Samastipur, Saran, Nawada, Begusarai and Bhojpur districts.

Singh said officials have been asked to kill mosquito larvae and to clean areas. They have been directed to take preventive measures to check its spread.

Dengue claimed one life in Patna last week when Abhay Kumar from Transport Nagar died, officials said.

Worried over rising dengue cases from new localities in Patna, the district administration has started an anti-mosquito fumigation drive.

Principal setary (health department) Deepak Kumar said he has directed to expedite fumigation drive to check and control the disease.