1,433 people died of infectious disease in China: Report

BEIJING: A total of 1,433 people died from infectious diseases in China in September this year, with HIV/AIDS the top cause of deaths, according to figures released by the health authority today.

Last month, 1,172 people living with HIV/AIDS died, according to a statement by the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

The second highest cause of death was tuberculosis, which killed 148 people.

In total, 585,322 tested positive for infectious disease on the Chinese mainland last month, the statement said.

Among them, two cases of cholera were reported but neither resulted in casualties. Plague and cholera are categorized as Class A infectious diseases, the most serious, state-run Xinhua reported.

In addition, there were 299,542 Class B cases. Hepatitis, tuberculosis, syphilis, dysentery and gonorrhea accounted for 92 per cent of cases in this category, the statement said.

It added that category C infectious diseases claimed nine lives last month. Foot-and-mouth disease, infectious diarrhea and mumps were the most frequently reported illnesses.