The Health Ministry reported Wednesday that the nation’s 27 top infectious diseases caused 234 deaths in February, up 35 percent compared with the previous month. 

The ministry began releasing the monthly epidemic surveillance report to the public this year.

A total of 207,555 cases of the leading infectious diseases were reported on the mainland, with Hepatitis B accounting for the largest number. It was followed by tuberculosis, gonorrhea, bacillary and amoebic dysentery and viral hepatitis.

Rabies, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis and infant tetanus caused most of the deaths.

Rabies still caused the most deaths among communicable diseases on the Chinese mainland, followed by infant tetanus, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, AIDS and whooping cough.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2004)