In fact, by 2003, only about 40 people had died from bird flu in the whole world. And all of them had gotten it from handling sick birds or breathing in their secretions, like saliva.
In some places in Thailand, chickens run freely through homes. Some are even kept as pets. In those conditions, there's always a danger of a bird flu outbreak.
First, Dr. Dowell had to test to see if the little girl had died of bird flu she caught from the sick chickens.
More important, he had to learn if the mother had caught the flu directly from her daughter. If so, this would be the first case ever reported of a person passing the flu to another person.
—When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad!,
John DiConsiglio
What central questions does Dr. Dowell want to answer? Check all that apply.
How can a cure be found quickly?
Has the mother passed bird flu on to anyone else?
Did the girl spread bird flu to her mother?
Did the girl give bird flu to the chickens?
Did the girl die from bird flu?