No cases of infectious disease or food poisoning had been reported in snow-disaster areas by January 31, the Ministry of Health said on its official website on Saturday.

About 33,370 square meters of health facilities, such as hospitals, have collapsed and another 74,461 sq m were in danger of collapsing, according to the ministry.

Medical machinery losses stood at 25.2 million yuan (about US$3.5 million) and losses of large medical equipment reached 26.9 million yuan.

The ministry said that 4,659 medical teams with 25,335 staff had been dispatched to treat 54,036 ill and injured persons in the disaster areas by Jan. 31.

The authorities have also delivered 3.45 million brochures advising the public on disease prevention and the impact of the bad weather.

Tens of millions of people in central, east and south China have been affected by the heaviest snow and coldest temperatures in five decades.

Minister of Health Chen Zhu and Deputy Minister Gao Qiang have ordered public health administrations to implement state medical procedures and emergency plans to ensure timely treatment for the ill and injured.

Local health administrations must immediately report any outbreaks of illness, including infectious diseases, food or carbon monoxide poisoning and illness of unknown origin, the ministry ordered.

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2008)