Bird flu alert in Malaysia

MALAYSIA went on a nationwide alert against bird flu after officials confirmed a lethal strain of the disease, blamed for the deaths of 27 people in Asia, had been found in a tiny northern village.

Agriculture ministry officials said tests showed that the H5N1 strain was present in chickens in Pekan Pasir, near the border with Thailand. Nearly 200 chickens, ducks and other birds were killed to keep the disease from spreading and re-igniting a regional health scare.