The number of rabies victims in China is higher than any other country except India, a senior health official said at a news conference today.

Nearly all the victims won't survive, said Mao Qun'an, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health.

The infectious disease has been reported across 23 provinces in China, Mao said.

Mao reminded the public to register and vaccinate their dogs, and keep an eye on the dogs to prevent them from biting others. Anyone who is bitten by a dog should seek treatment immediately.

A total of 309 people were confirmed infected with rabies in October, and 236 people died of the disease in the month.

Infectious diseases are classified into three categories by the country's Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases. Last month, nearly 318,612 cases of A-Class and B-Class infectious diseases were reported, which claimed 660 lives, according to the ministry.

The ministry didn't mention the number of cases of C-Class infectious diseases.

The top-five killers among infectious diseases in October were rabies, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, AIDS and Hepatitis C.

The five most infectious diseases, accounting for 87.54 percent of the total cases of A- and B-Class diseases, were tuberculosis, hepatitis B, diarrhea, syphilis and gonorrhea.

(Shanghai Daily October 12, 2007)