The Chinese Ministry of Health Wednesday issued a briefing on the status of infectious diseases in China during the first half of the year, indicating a declining incidence offset by a relatively high death toll.
According to the briefing, 31 provinces and provincial-level regions reported a total of 1,000,305 cases of 27 infectious diseases in the first half of this year, down by 4.34 percent year-on-year. The death toll, however, reached 2,228, up 9.86 percent.
Of the total, there were 5,327 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) cases and 348 deaths of SARS patients.
The 27 diseases comprise the official list of infectious diseases in China, with SARS added earlier this year.
According to the ministry, the top 10 infectious diseases in terms of incidence include viral hepatitis, tuberculosis and gonorrhea; while the top 10 infectious diseases in terms of mortality rate include rabies, AIDS and tetanus in new-born babies.
(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2003)
