KUWAIT CITY (AFP) - Sales of chicken in Kuwait have dropped by around 40 percent since an outbreak of bird flu was announced in February, the official KUNA news agency said on Friday.

The Gulf state has culled about 1.7 million birds since confirming the outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu that is dangerous to humans. A total of 106 cases of the strain have so far been confirmed in birds.

Industry sources told KUNA total daily sales of products in each of its outlets fluctuated now between 150 and 175 dinars (363 and 605 dollars), compared to around 250 and 300 dinars before the outbreak.

KUNA said that sales of imported chicken, meanwhile, had risen by 15 percent since February.

Since the outbreak, 22 people have been admitted to hospital on suspicion of being infected, but all have been discharged after tests for the virus proved negative.

In November 2005, the Gulf state announced the first case of a bird infected with the H5N1 strain -- a flamingo at a seaside villa.

The H5N1 strain, the most aggressive form, has killed 171 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation, and has seen millions of birds destroyed.