Inspectors discovered bird flu in a total of 11 wild chickens in two villages, both within districts where it was discovered in recent weeks in the northern state of Kelantan, the veterinary department announced. 

Workers will begin gassing all birds within a one-kilometre zone around the infected villages, adding to the 7,000 chickens, ducks and other birds culled since the first outbreak on Aug 17.

Malaysia has so far avoided any human cases of H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed at least 28 people in Thailand and Vietnam.

Authorities have set up roadblocks at the Kelantan state borders to ensure the disease does not spread to other states, and told preachers at village mosques to encourage cooperation with authorities to cull birds.

On Tuesday, Malaysia and Thailand pledged to immediately alert each other on new bird flu infections and tighten controls along their porous border to curb poultry smuggling.