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

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. 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.

Some 60 birds were reported to have died since Saturday and tests on Tuesday confirmed they had died of H5N1, Ramlee Rahmat, deputy director-general of public health, told The Associated Press.

The Health Ministry was actively monitoring people in the area, he said, but so far no one had symptoms of bird flu, including fever.

"There is no need to panic. It has happened before. We're taking the same steps now -- as per our action plan," he said. "There is nothing unusual."

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 today said officials will have to "take whatever measures to prevent it from spreading." It is "important that immediate measures are taken," he said.

AVA said 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.

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.