Infectious diseases killed 2,068 Chinese in the first quarter of 2006 with tuberculosis (TB) being the top killer, according to the Ministry of Health.

The top five fatal infectious diseases from January to March were tuberculosis (TB), hydrophobia, hepatitis B, AIDS and epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, accounting for 88.74 percent of all deaths, says the ministry's quarterly epidemic report.

TB, hepatitis B, gonorrhea, bacterial and amebic dysentery and syphilis accounted for 87.83 percent of total cases, the report says.

Nine human cases and six human deaths of bird flu were reported during the first quarter, raising the total human infections in China to 16 and fatalities to 11. Ten provinces, cities and regions have detected human cases of bird flu.

Local health authorities must continue strengthening surveillance and screening of human bird flu as well as pneumonia with unknown causes, and take timely preventive measures upon detection, the ministry said.

The report also mentions 20,229 cases of flu in the first three months, an increase of 13.22 percent over the same period last year. The ministry has urged localities to improve surveillance and prevention in schools, as most flu outbreaks have occurred in middle and elementary schools this year.

Source: Xinhua