China's Ministry of Health today released information on infectious diseases across the country for November 2006.

A total of 318,287 categories A and B infection cases were reported nationwide (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan), including 743 deaths.

Cases reported covered 22 types of infectious diseases including all within categories A and B except for plague, SARS, human bird flu, poliomyelitis and diphtheria. These   were not reported.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) topped the list of the most reported illnesses, followed by hepatitis B, dysentery, syphilis and gonorrhea. Altogether these accounted for 86.50 percent of reported cases.

Rabies is followed by TB, AIDS, hepatitis B and hemorrhagic fever on the list of the deadliest infectious diseases. They accounted for 89.77 percent of deaths.

A total of 104,926 cases of category C infectious diseases were reported with 14 deaths. Infectious diarrhea, mumps and influenza were the three most reported illnesses accounting for 97.68 percent in this category.

(Ministry of Health, December 11, 2006)