BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhuanet) -- The Chinese Health Ministry said here Wednesday that the recorded 27 top infectious diseases caused 234 deaths in February, up 35 percent compared with the previous month.

    The incidence of Hepatitis B topped the reported 207,555 infectious cases on the Chinese mainland in February, followed by tuberculosis, gonorrhea, bacillary and amoebic dysentery and viralhepatitis, the ministry said in an epidemic surveillance report released on Wednesday.

    Rabies, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis and infant tetanus caused most of the deaths, accordingto the report.

    Rabies, also called hydrophobia, still caused the most deaths among the communicable diseases on the Chinese mainland, followed by infant tetanus, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, AIDS and pertussis. Enditem