Flu cases that spurred Hong Kong to close primary schools for the first time since SARS have prompted close monitoring in the surrounding region, but no unusual flu patterns have been detected, AP quoted China's health minister as saying Friday. Experts have said there is no sign the flu virus circulating in Hong Kong is more virulent than past viruses, despite three child deaths in the recent outbreaks. The World Health Organization has called the situation in Hong Kong a regular flu outbreak, noting at least two of the three children who died had other illnesses. China's health minister said Friday he has not seen unusual patterns in southern Guangdong province. «We all know flu becomes common between winter and spring. Our analysis of Guangdong shows there haven't been more flu cases than previous years, but we're closely monitoring the situation,» Chen Zhu told reporters in Beijing.
