KUWAIT, April 1 (Reuters) - Kuwait confirmed on Sunday five more cases in chickens of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, bringing to 101 the total number of infected birds in the Gulf Arab country this year.

The new cases were chickens from a fourth farm in the southern region of Wafra where most of the bird flu infections have been found, said Health Ministry official Ahmed al-Shatti.

He said no human infections were found after more than 500 people who had been in contact with the birds had been tested.

Kuwaiti authorities have culled some 1.5 million birds out of which 1.1 million were at three farms in Wafra near the Saudi border, representing almost 60 percent of the country"e;s egg hens.

The measures are hitting Kuwait"e;s egg production since the culled 1.1 million layers account for 88 percent of local egg needs, according to the agricultural and fish resources authority. Kuwait has 16 broiler and layer farms.

The government has pledged to compensate farmers and bird owners for the culling, with local daily al-Seyassah saying 15 million dinars ($51.81 million) will be paid in total.

The country has closed down the zoo and poultry shops in residential areas, and banned the import of live birds.

In 2005, Kuwait had reported a case of bird flu in a flamingo in 2005.