Food-borne diseases are the major challenge facing health professionals in Beijing working to secure a healthy and epidemic-free Olympics, an official said May 28.

Jin Dapeng, Party secretary of the Beijing health bureau and head of the medical support group of the Games' organizing committee, said hundreds of health officials will be dispatched to monitor 280 Olympic-related restaurants.

Also, 335 hospitals in the capital have been told they must inform health authorities, via a Web-based surveillance and reporting system, any outbreak of potentially infectious diseases, especially intestinal infections, he said.

"Doctors must also notify us of any cases where people are suffering from fever, jaundice or diarrhea," he said.

Zhao Tao, head of the bureau's disease prevention department, said such close monitoring and reporting will help with the early detection, diagnosis and containment of potential health threats.

Also, following an evaluation of the possible public health risks, precautionary bills on crises/emergencies, pandemic influenza and plague have been issued, he said.

To help with the containment of epidemics, "we've greatly enhanced the lab capacity in the city," Zhao said.

We now have the ability to test for 10 intense pathogens and biological toxins, including anthrax, very quickly and can provide technical support for the effective handling of any possible biological terror attacks, he said.

Jin said: "Specialists from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have visited Beijing to offer help with that and to share their experiences."

As well as watching for new outbreaks of known diseases here in China, authorities are closely monitoring the global arena. Cases involving the Ebola and West Nile viruses, neither of which have been reported in China, will be very closely watched, he said.

"People from around the world will flock to Beijing for the Games, and that obviously increases the health risk."

To reduce the risk of diseases spreading, improved medical facilities will be set up at airports and railway stations, Jin said.

"All health crises, especially potential epidemics, during the Games will be publicized in a timely fashion, and we promise the utmost transparency and openness," he said.

Also, a special blood clinic has already been set up to provide essential supplies should they be needed during the Games, Jin said.

A mechanism to enable blood to be transferred swiftly and safely from other provinces has also been established with the help of the Ministry of Health, he said.