THE bird flu virus sample had traveled a long way. It was taken from an infected patient, put into a special thermos, and taken by courier to the Research Laboratory of the Indonesian Health Department. The virus was then divided. Some of the sample was sent to Hong Kong, the rest to the Namru-2 laboratory, located in Central Jakarta.

According to Dr Sondang Maryutka, laboratory head at Sulianti Saroso Hospital, couriers stand ready to be called