The Health Ministry has ruled out bacterial infection as the cause of the death of two babies at a daycare centre in Taman Permata, Kuala Lumpur.

Health director-general Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said the finding was made based on the initial results of the histopathological examination on the tissue samples obtained from the babies' lungs and other organs.

He also said that milk aspiration as the cause of death could not be ruled out yet.

"A conclusive finding can only be obtained after the results of each of the tests, including the analyses by the Chemistry Department, are obtained in two or three weeks," he said in a statement.

In the incident on Thursday, Muzaffar Mohd Faizal, aged three-and-a-half month and Arif Amsyar Ruhi Budiman, 7 months, who had been left at the daycare centre, died believed to be due to milk aspiration.

Hasan said the case had now become a medico-legal issue following police reports lodged by the two babies' next-of-kin and that the ministry would forward the final report on the case to the police.

Dr Hasan said up until yesterday, checks on 53 of 55 children at the daycare centre found that they were healthy. Two others are found with minor flu symptoms.

The ministry also found that there was no outbreak of serious infectious diseases among the children.

"Nine throat swab samples taken from the children there tested negative for Influenza A virus," he said, adding that health personnel had carried out follow-up checks at the centre and had also given instruction on baby care and health matters.

All seven staff of the centre had been instructed to undergo regular health checks, he added.

The centre remained closed and would only be allowed to resume operations when all operational conditions such as the staff-children ratio were fulfilled, he said.

- Bernama