After the first dengue death reported in Bihar this year, the worried state government has alerted the health department to initiate measures to check its spread, officials said on Friday.

Mathura Prasad Singh, a resident of Siwan, died of dengue at a private hospital in Patna. Amarjeet Sinha, Principal Secretary, Health Department, has confirmed that it was the first reported dengue death this year.

The government has taken a serious stand on this and is not taking any chances," he said.According to a health department official record, 2,183 cases of dengue were reported last year, in 19 of 38 districts. Seven patients died later.

Sinha added that no other dengue case has been reported until now, and denied reports that some patients had been admitted to private clinics in Patna for dengue treatment.