Malaysia on Monday reported the death of 40 chickens in an area near Kuala Lumpur due to the virulent H5NI bird flu strain.

The case, the first since the country had declared itself free of the virus in January 2005, was an isolated one and there was no need for panic as there were no deaths reported among humans, Agriculture Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in a statement.

'Tests conducted at the Veterinary Laboratory in Petaling Jaya and at the Livestock Research Institute in Ipoh confirmed that the death of the chickens was caused by H5N1 avian influenza virus,' Bernama news agency quoted the minister as saying in a statement.

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Following the report of bird flu, all the 110 chickens in the four hamlets of the area had been culled and agencies were monitoring movements to ensure the fowls were not taken out of the place, Yassin said.

'Immediate action had been taken by the Veterinary Services Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the Health Ministry to contain the disease and prevent it from spreading,' Muhyiddin said in the statement.