Infectious diseases claimed 6,474 lives on the Chinese mainland
last year, up nearly a quarter on figures for 2002.
And 173 of the deaths occurred last month, down nearly 18
percent on the same month in 2003, according to Ministry of Health
statistics released Wednesday.
This is the first monthly report on infectious diseases. From
now on, the ministry will make public figures on infectious
illnesses and related information every month, said ministry
spokesman Mao Qun'an.
The service forms part of the national infectious diseases
surveillance and reporting system which was set up after the severe
acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, Mao said.
Last year, there were about 2.6 million cases of 27 infectious
diseases, which must be reported to health authorities.
The hepatitis virus tops the list of the top 10 most common
infectious diseases. The others are tuberculosis, amoebic and
bacillary dysentery, gonorrhea, measles, syphilis, typhoid fever,
malaria, epidemic hemorrhagic fever, and scarlet fever.
Rabies killed 1,980 people last year, becoming the most fatal of
the top 10 infectious diseases.
SARS claimed 349 people last year, 30 less than HIV/AIDS.
The infectious diseases that have increased the most over the
period are rabies, viral hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and
measles.
HIV/AIDS and six other infectious diseases infected more people
in January this year than January last year.
In the same month, fewer or no cases of another 19 infectious
diseases under legal management were recorded.
(China Daily February 12, 2004)