China reported a 30-percent increase in emergent public health cases in the first quarter, the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday.

The ministry said in a statement that 18,685 individual cases were recorded in 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions on the mainland, up 29.26 percent year-on-year.

There were 108 fatalities from these cases, up 5.88 percent, it said.

The ministry attributed the surge to the rise of infectious diseases, especially measles and parotitis.

Experts warned that with rising spring temperatures, public health incidents such as infectious diseases might also increase.

The ministry urged its local bureaus to step up surveillance of contagious diseases, including human bird flu, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), measles and parotitis and prevent cholera outbreaks.

(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2008)