AIDS, Leading Cause of Death Among Infectious Diseases in China

Beijing, Sep 10 (Prensa Latina) Infectious diseases caused by AIDS became the leading cause of death during August in China, the National Commission of Health and Family Planning reported today.

According to this source, 1,497 people died of infectious diseases and AIDS became the leading such cause, claiming 1102 lives, followed by tuberculosis, which caused 161 deaths.

Health authorities in China said that a total of 619,396 infectious disease cases were reported last August. Ten cases of cholera were reported, which along with the plague is categorized as a Class A infectious disease.

Some 323,921 cases were identified as Class B infectious diseases, and they account for 95% of the cases in this category, including hepatitis, tuberculosis, syphilis, dysentery and gonorrhea. Class C diseases claimed 19 lives in August, mainly due to foot-and-mouth disease, diarrhea and mumps, as reported by the Commission.