HONG KONG, Dec 14, 2006 (AFP) - Hong Kong's health department said Thursday it had detected possible linked HIV infections in two groups of men, raising fears that more people could be infected and pushing the HIV risk in the city to a new high.

Wong Ka-hing, a health department consultant, said the department had detected two clusters of HIV infections with similar gene sequencing affecting mostly gay men but also some heterosexuals.

Wong said the findings suggested that the infected patients had had multiple partners, although it was not clear if they knew each other or each others' sexual histories.

Homosexual and bisexual contacts were the most common mode of transmission in these two clusters, he said.

The first cluster of HIV infection comprised 34 men, of whom 27 were Chinese aged between 22 and 54. The second cluster comprised 12 Chinese males aged between 34 and 67.

Wong said HIV was prone to mutate during replication and the gene sequencing of HIV infection in different individuals varied.

"However, HIV infections between closely related individuals may present with similar gene sequencing," he said in a statement.

"The detection of a cluster of HIV infection suggested the presence of a rapid and local HIV transmission among the affected people," he added.

He did not rule out that more cases could be found relating to these two groups.

"It is anticipated that the two clusters will continue to grow in numbers as more new HIV diagnoses are made and reported," he said, urging people who have unsafe sex to take an HIV test.

The number of HIV cases is on the rise in the territory, with a record 313 new cases recorded last year, up 17 percent from 2004. This year is expected to exceed that record.

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