HONG KONG (AP) – Scientists have confirmed that no new flu strain has emerged in Hong Kong’s recent flu outbreak, the government said Friday.

Scientists have completed gene sequencing on the flu viruses from two children who died amid the recent outbreak and found that their genetic makeup matches that of flu strains that are already circulating, a government statement said.

“These results confirm that the two children did not die from a new virus that is more virulent than the circulating strains in the region,” the statement said.

The results eased fears that a new, deadlier strain of flu might have emerged and bolstered claims by the World Health Organization and the Hong Kong government that the recent outbreak here is not cause for alarm.

The WHO has called the situation a seasonal flu outbreak. It noted the two children, a 7-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl, also suffered from encephalitis and a metabolic disease. Officials have not yet determined what caused their deaths.