Respiratory medicine specialist, Leung Chi-chiu, said on Monday that it's unlikely there will be serious flu outbreaks in the short term, despite an increase of cases in the community.

He said Hong Kong's summer flu season has just ended, and the winter season may come in February or March.

"Because we have already had substantial circulation of the influenza virus within our community for some time, we are likely to see a more normal winter season, instead of a major rebound, like what is currently seen in the mainland," he told RTHK.

Paediatrician Patrick Ip from the University of Hong Kong, meanwhile, said even though the winter flu season is coming later than usual, people should not let their guard down.

He told an RTHK radio programme that there’s been a rise in the number of people coming down with other respiratory diseases, like Mycoplasma pneumoniae, with over 100 cases reported every month since August.