China's Ministry of Health recently issued a circular calling for higher vigilance against intestinal infectious diseases, particularly cholera.

Statistics of the ministry show 42 epidemics of 3,672 cases of intestinal infectious diseases, which included cholera, dysentery, typhoid, paratyphoid and infectious diarrhea, occurred from January to May 25.

The official said 37 of these cases were cholera. Compared with last year, cholera epidemic occurred earlier.

According to the official, the incidence of intestinal infectious disease have been kept at a relatively low level in recent years.

The incidence of cholera, in particular, have subsided markedly for three consecutive years to historical lows.

The circular urged various localities to beef up work at medical departments of infectious diseases and strictly abide by the epidemic reporting system.

Meanwhile, they should step up epidemiology probe into intestinal infectious diseases and closely monitor epidemic of such diseases.

It called for closely monitoring epidemic among catering service workers, schools and urban areas that accommodate large numbers of migrant population and construction sites and beefing up sample check of marine and aquatic products.

(Xinhua News Agency June 26, 2005)