AIDS overtook hepatitis B to become the third-deadliest
infectious disease in China last year, after tuberculosis and
rabies, according to Ministry of Health in a report released on
Monday.
A total of 4.42 million cases of infectious diseases and 13,263
deaths were reported last year, increases of 12.7 percent and 81.92
percent respectively from 2004.
Tuberculosis, hepatitis B, dysentery, gonorrhea and syphilis
were the top five most common infectious diseases, accounting for
85.66 percent of the total reported cases.
Tuberculosis, rabies, AIDS, hepatitis B and tetanus in newborns
were the top five killers, accounting for 89.4 percent of the
total.
There were no reports in the number of new cases and deaths of
contagious Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), poliomyelitis
and diphtheria.
Reports of infectious respiratory diseases rose by 31.7 percent
last year. Among them, cases of measles and tuberculosis jumped by
73.52 percent and 29.03 percent respectively.
Infectious diseases in China are classified into three
categories and 37 types according to the country's newly revised
laws on prevention and control of communicable diseases, which took
effect on December 1, 2004.
(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2006)