China has increased measures to guard against an outbreak of flu and other infectious diseases in this winter-for-spring transitional season.

China"e;s Vice Health Minister Yin Li said at a national video conference Friday that the winter-for-spring season is a period of likely outbreak of infectious diseases and more influenza and hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) cases had been reported in some regions.

"The large number of people returning to cities after the Spring Festival holiday and the start of the new school semester will also increase the risk of an outbreak," he said.

As the situation for the prevention and control of infectious diseases is becoming grave, the ministry has ordered health institutions to improve surveillance and keep close watch on patients suffering from acute cases of infectious diseases.

Yin also emphasized the importance of vaccination.

"Disease control and medical institutions should take effective measures to organize vulnerable groups for inoculation," he said.

To contain spread of infectious disease and prevent public health emergencies, the general office of the Ministry of Education also issued a circular on Feb. 11, ordering enhanced food safety supervision and close monitoring on the students"e; health as the new semester is about to start.

The Ministry of Education also insisted schools check students"e; physical conditions every morning after the new semester begins and conduct thorough cleaning of the school compounds before or after the start of the new semester, and work to make sure drinking water provided is up to standard.

Schools were also told to improve awareness on prevention of infectious diseases.

After nearly half-a-year with no severe cases of A/H1N1 flu reported, the virus, which has become the predominant strain of flu virus in China,has started to take its toll again in the last two months.

Twenty deaths caused by A/H1N1 flu virus were reported as of Feb. 8 since the beginning of 2011, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Altogether 32,179 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) were reported in the Chinese mainland last month, with six of them fatal, the MOH figures showed.

Source: Xinhua