Hong Kong's Department of Health Thursday urges people with a history of unprotected sex to have an HIV test, as there may be a rapid and local HIV transmission in Hong Kong.

It has uncovered two clusters of HIV infections with similar gene sequencing affecting men having sex with men and heterosexuals, the department said.

Consultant Wong Ka-hing said investigations have so far revealed that these cases may be linked. Unprotected sex is the likely cause.

Tests on the gene sequences of most confirmed HIV positive blood specimens found two separate clusters of HIV-1 subtype B infections.

The first cluster of HIV infection comprised 34 men aged 22 to 54. Of them, 27 were Chinese. All these cases were reported between November 2003 and September this year.

The second cluster comprised 12 Chinese men aged 34 to 67. These cases were reported between May 2004 and September this year.

Source: Xinhua