国内英语新闻:Health Ministry to strengthen food safety supervision during flood season

BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Health issued a circular on Wednesday calling for preventive measures to ensure the safety of food and drinking water, as epidemics can easily break out after flooding.

The ministry urged health departments at all levels to actively monitor various indicators in order to detect food- and water-borne diseases in a timely manner during flood season.

It also called for safety checks on water supplies, urging water suppliers to take measures to ensure the cleanliness of water resources and water sterilization. If water suppliers fail to take these measures, they will be ordered to rectify their actions within a certain period of time.

The ministry urged health departments to strengthen guidance and inspection work in rural areas and enhance supervision of water supplies for rural-urban fringe zones and schools.

Torrential rains have devastated 22 provincial-level regions in China since July 20, leaving 111 dead and another 47 missing, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Tuesday.

As of press time, no outbreaks of epidemics had been reported in the country.

The ministry also called for tightening medical waste management as well as enhancing public awareness on relevant topics.