KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 (Reuters) - Five people living near the site of a bird flu outbreak close to the Malaysian capital are in hospital with flu-like symptoms, the country's health minister said on Friday.

Chua Soi Lek said the five -- from the village Paya Jaras Hilir and aged between 11 months and 35 years -- were in stable condition.

He said they had been living within 300 metres (984 ft) of an area in Malaysia's central state of Selangor where the H5N1 bird flu was detected this week -- the first case since March last year.

"They went to the hospital to get treatment and have been isolated because of the symptoms," Chua said in a statement.

Seventeen villagers who reported mild fever had been placed under home surveillance, he said.

"So far, there's still no case of avian influenza infection among humans," Chua added.

Malaysia reported on Wednesday its first case of H5N1 bird flu in more than a year in what authorities called an isolated incident.

Chua also said culling of chickens within a one-kilometre radius of the outbreak, comprising four villages, which began on Thursday, would continue.

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