Taipei, April 21 (IANS): Samples of the human H7N9 virus strain, provided by the mainland China, arrived in Taipei Saturday and have been sent to a laboratory so that their biological features could be studied, Xinhua reported.

The transfer of the virus strain samples indicates that cross-strait cooperation on infectious disease prevention and control has entered a new stage and it hoped for further deepening cooperation, the island's disease control authority said .

The samples will be used to assess the effectiveness of virus testing measures on the island, among other research and development work, Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said in a statement.

Twelve suspected bird flu cases have been reported since Friday in Taiwan, of which seven were negative, with the remaining five people still being tested.

In mainland China, 98 H7N9 cases had been reported as of Saturday, including 18 that ended in death.