Over 16,000 Chinese die of infectious diseases in 2013

A total of 16,592 people died of infectious diseases on the Chinese mainland in 2013, with AIDS taking the most lives, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said in a statement on Thursday. More than 6.4 million infectious disease cases were reported on the Chinese mainland in 2013, the statement said. Among the 3.1 million cases categorized as Class A and B infectious diseases, 16,301 people died, a 3-percent drop compared with 2012. AIDS, tuberculosis, rabies, hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever were the most deadly diseases, while hepatitis, tuberculosis, syphilis, dysentery and gonorrhea were the most prevalent. Class C infectious diseases, with nearly 3.4 million reported cases, claimed 291 lives last year. Foot-and-mouth disease, infectious diarrhea and colds and respiratory infections were the most deadly in this category, according to the statement. Cases of infectious diseases affecting intestinal and respiratory systems and blood-borne and sexually transmitted diseases saw a slight drop, ranging between 3 percent and 8 percent, compared with those in 2012, while cases of dengue fever, bird flu, malaria, encephalitis B and schistosomiasis increased, the statement said. A total of 6.95 million infectious disease cases were reported and 17,315 people died on the Chinese mainland in 2012.