BEIJING, April 13 -- A total of 1,589 people died as a result of infectious diseases on the Chinese mainland in March, official data have shown.

According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission, there were 544,132 cases of infectious diseases reported on the mainland last month.

More than 325,791 cases were classified as Class B infectious diseases under China's Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, resulting in 1,579 deaths.

Viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhoea as well as bacterial and amoebic dysentery accounted for 95 percent of these cases.

Category C diseases were responsible for 218,341 cases and 10 deaths. Infectious diarrhea, foot and mouth disease, and influenza were the most prevalent in this category, accounting for 90 percent of cases.