China's Yunnan passes Malaria inspection, reporting zero infections

Southwest China's Yunnan Province passed a national evaluation on rates of Malaria infection on Friday, reporting that it is free of the disease, according to the provincial health commission.

Yunnan reported no locally transmitted malaria cases over the past four years, meaning that it has eliminated the infectious disease.

Malaria is a disease caused by parasites found in mosquitos, and can also be passed on by blood transfusions. Typical malaria symptoms include chills, fever, sweating, anemia and a swollen spleen.

The disease was once rampant in Yunnan due to its unique geology and weather, with 129 counties suffering from malaria. The province had about 400,000 infected patients in 1953.

Through phased actions, the province managed to strengthen prevention and control measures, said Lu Lin, deputy head of the commission.

Editor: John Li