Singapore has suspended poultry and egg imports from Selangor with immediate effect as a precautionary measure against bird flu, said its Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA).

This follows the announcement today by Malaysia's Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) that the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu has been detected in Kampung Paya Jaras Hilir village in Selangor state, which surrounds Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's main city.

Authorities there have started culling chickens and fowl in that village and three nearby villages, the department said in a statement. Malaysia was officially declared free of bird flu in June 2006, three months after the last outbreak of the H5N1 strain was detected in chickens in a northern village.

The statement said 60 birds were reported to have died Saturday, and tests Tuesday confirmed they had H5N1 virus.

Health officials are monitoring the area and the virus seems to have been contained, the statement said, adding it was an isolated incident and not a cause for concern.

Bird flu has killed at least 188 people since H5N1 started ravaging Asian poultry flocks in late 2003, according to the World Health Organization. There have been no fatalities in Malaysia.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said officials will have to "take whatever measures to prevent it from spreading." It is "important that immediate measures are taken," he said.

Ramlee Rahmat, deputy director-general of public health, said the Health Ministry was actively monitoring people in the area, but so far no one had symptoms of bird flu, including fever.

"It has happened before. We're taking the same steps now - as per our action plan," he said. "There is nothing unusual."

Meanwhile, Singapore's imports from the disease-free zones of Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Perak will not be affected.

The AVA also said it will "continue to remain on high alert and work closely with DVS to monitor the development of the disease situation".

Malaysia supplies 3.6 million poultry and 83.7 million eggs per month to Singapore. The suspension of imports from Selangor is, however, unlikely to affect supplies in Singapore much.

This is as imports from Selangor constitute only about 6 per cent of the poultry and 1 per cent of Singapore's egg imports from Malaysia.

The AVA assured Singaporeans it will step up surveillance and inspections at the points of entry to prevent the incursion of the disease, and that poultry and poultry products in Singapore are safe for consumption.