China's Ministry of Health said in Beijing Tuesday that tuberculosis retained the highest incidence rate among all reported infectious diseases during the fourth quarter of 2004 on the Chinese mainland.

Rabies remained the top killer among all 27 listed infectious diseases, the ministry said.

Tuberculosis, hepatitis B, dysentery, gonorrhea and syphilis were the top five most common infectious diseases, the ministry said in a regular surveillance report.

Rabies, tuberculosis, AIDS and hepatitis B were the main causes of death, the ministry said.

The ministry said a total of 832,050 cases of infectious diseases, including 1,834 deaths, were reported during the past three months on the Chinese mainland.

Infectious diseases in China are classified into three categories by the country's law on prevention and control of communicable diseases. Among the three categories, 27 types of disease are included in the ministry's regular surveillance report. 

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2005)