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)