China saw no serious breakouts of infectious diseases last year, except for limited cases of measles, hemorrhagic fever, dengue fever and influenza, the Ministry of Health reported on Friday.  

According to the report, the number of measles cases dropped 5.7 percent year-on-year to 70,549 last year, killing 26 people. The hemorrhagic fever cases rose by 10.54 percent to 25,041, causing 254 deaths. The dengue fever cases jumped 165.2 percent to 247, but with no deaths. Fifteen people died in 50,000 influenza cases.

The ministry said tuberculosis retained the highest incidence rate last year and rabies remained the top killer among the infectious diseases listed in the report.

Tuberculosis, hepatitis B, dysentery, gonorrhea and hepatitis A were the top five most common infectious diseases, accounting for 85 percent of the total cases, the ministry acknowledged.

Rabies, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, AIDS and tetanus in newborns were the major killers, accounting for 82.65 percent of the total deaths, it said.

Infectious diseases in China are classified into three categories and 37 types by the country's newly revised Law on Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases, which took effect on December 1.

(Xinhua News Agency February 19, 2005)