On?October 10, the Ministry of Health disclosed details
regarding infectious diseases nationwide for?September
2007.
In the Chinese mainland a total of 349,630 cases were reported
in categories A and B infection, resulting in?735 deaths.
Cases reported accounted for all 23 types of categories A and B
infectious diseases excepting plague, SARS, poliomyelitis, human
bird flu, and diphtheria.
The most prevalent disease reported was pulmonary tuberculosis
(TB), followed by hepatitis B, dysentery, syphilis and gonorrhea.
These five diseases accounted for?87.45 percent of the
reported cases.
Rabies was recorded as the deadliest infectious disease with TB,
AIDS, hepatitis B and epidemic encephalitis B also causing a number
of fatalities.?91.56 percent of deaths could be ascribed to
the above diseases.
136,229?cases of category C infectious diseases were
recorded, leading to?6 deaths. The top three cases were
infectious diarrhea, acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, and epidemic
mumps, accounting for 97.41 percent of the illnesses in this
category.
(Ministry of Health,?October 12, 2007)
Note:
Infectious diseases are classified into A, B, and C in China based
on nature, transmission channel, and speed. The most pandemic
diseases – including plague, cholera, and SARS – fall into Category
A. Category B diseases spread in less easy channels and at a lower
speed, including typhoid fever, dengue fever, and scarlatina.
Category C contains the least infectious, including tuberculosis,
snail fever, mumps, and leprosy.