Beijing, Oct 11 (IANS): A total of 1,433 people died from infectious diseases in China in September, with HIV/AIDS the top cause of death, according to figures released by the health authority on Saturday.

Last month, 1,172 people living with HIV/AIDS died, according to a statement on the National Health and Family Planning Commission's website.

The second highest cause of death was tuberculosis, which killed 148 people, reported Xinhua.

In total, 585,322 tested positive for infectious disease last month, according to the statement.

Among them, two cases of cholera were reported but neither resulted in casualties. Plague and cholera are categorized as Class A infectious diseases, the most serious.

In addition, there were 299,542 Class B cases. Hepatitis, tuberculosis, syphilis, dysentery and gonorrhea accounted for 92 percent of cases in this category, the statement said.

It added that category C infectious diseases claimed nine lives last month. Foot-and-mouth disease, infectious diarrhoea and mumps were the most frequently reported illnesses.