South China's Guangdong Province has reported 747 flu patients by Thursday this year with no critical or death case, according to the provincial government authorities.

From 10AM Wednesday to 10 a.m. Thursday, the province reported 69 new flu cases in schools in the provincial capital Guangzhou, Shaoguan, Dongguan and Jiangmen cities, the emergency management office of Guangdong government said.

The epidemic situation was similar to the same period last year. There has been no critical or death case, the provincial health department said.

The province has reported 17 outbreaks involving 511 patients in schools.

Most of the patients contracted Influenza B virus.

Incidence of flu on the Chinese mainland this year was lower than the average of previous years, both in the north and the south, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.

Seasonal flu outbreaks in Hong Kong led to a two-week closure of primary schools, special schools and kindergartens in the city from last Thursday.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2008)