Move to prevent epidemics

The Ministry of Health is stepping up efforts to guard against epidemic outbreaks in the quake-hit regions, said Mao Qun'an, its spokesman.

The move comes on the heels of detection of gas gangrene, a deadly bacterial infection that may require immediate amputation, in the disaster zone.

As of Sunday, several major facilities treating quake survivors reported 58 cases of the disease, said local health authorities.