The condition of a 9-year-old boy she had been caring for had deteriorated sharply, and he had been intubated, one doctor reported. Dr. Luch told her colleagues her theory. They warned her that if she set off the bird flu warning system, many senior government officials might get involved. Anxious but increasingly certain, Dr. Luch phoned the local public health department, located just across the street. At 8 p.m., Cambodia’s National Public Health Laboratory confirmed Dr. Luch’s suspicion: He had died of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

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Persons: Sreyleak Luch, ”, Luch, Virun, Virun’s Organizations: Public Health Laboratory Locations: Kratie, Cambodia, Phnom Penh