Malaysia will declare itself free of bird flu at the end of May if no new cases erupt before then, Agriculture Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said according to a report today.

Malaysia reported a rash of outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus beginning in February when it appeared in free-range chickens in villages near the capital Kuala Lumpur, triggering the slaughter of tens of thousands of poultry.

Since then, the country has suffered five other outbreaks of the virus among poultry in the northern states of Perak and Penang, but Muhyiddin said there had been no recent reports of the disease in poultry or other birds.

"However, because of the past cases, we still need to continue surveillance. If by the end of May there is no new case, we will be able to declare the country free of the disease," he said according to the official Bernama news agency.

No human deaths

After the February outbreak authorities set up a surveillance area in a 10-kilometre (6.2 mile) radius including the landmark Petronas Twin Towers and the National Zoo.

The H5N1 strain has killed more than 100 people in nine countries since 2003. Scientists fear a global pandemic if the virus mutates and becomes easily transmissible between humans.

There have been no human deaths in Malaysia.