I. General Situation of the Epidemics
During the 11th week of 2009 (from March 16 to March 22), 1590 cases of 16 legally defined infectious diseases with 5 cases of death (hepatitis B) were reported in 18 districts and counties of Beijing Municipality.Among them, 911 cases out of 10 categories of Type B infectious diseases were reported, 5.44% higher than last week and 0.44% than the same period of last year. The top 5 categories of diseases with the highest reported incidence rates were as follows: tuberculosis (264 cases), dysentery (184 cases), hepatitis B (148 cases), syphilis (81 cases) and measles (68 cases). And 679 cases out of 6 categories of Type C infectious diseases were reported, up by 27.87% and 7.44% as against last week and the same period of last year respectively.

Among the respiratory infectious disease cases reported this week, there were 359 cases of tuberculosis, measles, scarlatina and epidemic encephalitis, accounting for 39.41% of the total Type B infectious diseases reported, and 15.43% higher than the same period of last year.The numbers of reported cases of tuberculosis and measles were on the rise, while that of scarlatina declined and epidemic encephalitis kept at the same level.

This week, 679 cases out of the following 6 categories of Type C infectious diseases were reported: other infectious diarrheas, hand-foot-mouth disease, epidemic parotitis, rubella, acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis and epidemic influenza. The number accounted for 42.70% of the total and was 7.44% higher than the same period of last year. Among the reported cases, the incidence of hand-foot-mouth disease was on the rise while epidemic influenza, rubella, other infectious diarrheas, acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis and epidemic parotitis decreased.

II. Major Epidemics
1. Measles
This week, a total of 68 cases of measles were reported in Beijing, 12 cases more than the previous week and 5 more than the same period of last year. Among the different sections of the city, Chaoyang, Haidian and Daxing Districts were the top 3 in terms of the number of reported cases and the sum of the three accounted for 61.76% of the reported total. Those infected were mainly students, housekeeping and unemployed people, scattered-living children, staff in institutions and enterprises, workers and farmers, accounting for 75.00% of the total.

2. Chicken Pox
A total of 375 cases were reported this week, up by 10.62% than last week and 18.30% than the same period of last year respectively.The top 5 regions reporting the most incidence rates were Chaoyang, Fengtai, Changping, Haidian and Daxing Districts, accounting for 62.13% of the total reported. Those infected were mainly students and preschool children, accounting for 84.27% of the total.
 
3. Hand-foot-mouth Disease
This week, a total of 229 cases were reported, up by 106 cases than last week. The top 6 regions reporting the most incidence rates were Fengtai, Fangshan, Haidian, Chaoyang, Tongzhou and Changping Districts, accounting for 80.79% of the total reported. Those infected were mainly children that are either living scatteredly or in nurseries and kindergartens, accounting for 95.63% of the total.

III. Non-professional Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Report
This week, a total of 88 cases were reported in Beijing with 141 people poisoned and none died.

IV. Key Notes
As it’s early spring now, the temperature is gradually rising and the weather changeable. In consideration of such a peak season for incidence of respiratory infectious diseases, the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau has required each health and disease prevention department across the districts and couties of Beijing to further strengthen their prevention against this kind of disease. Special attention should be paid to the monitoring and reporting of infectious diseases in schools, childcare institutions, construction sites and other places crowded with floating population in a bid to prevent the outbreak and epidemic of respiratory infectious diseases.