Ten people died of rabies infections in east China's Shandong Province in January, with the disease ranking the most deadly among all infectious diseases, the provincial health authorities announced.

A total of 16 people died from infectious diseases in January, 1.2 percent down from the previous month but nearly 30 percent higher than the same period last year, the provincial Health Department reported. The other six deaths resulted from cerebrospinal meningitis, AIDS and hepatitis B.

Rabies, often spread by dogs, attacks the nervous system and is fatal to humans if not treated prior to the onset of symptoms. It is followed by tuberculosis, AIDS, hepatitis B and infant tetanus on the list of the most deadly infectious diseases in China.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2007)