Beijing scientists said in a medical journal Wednesday that a man in mainland China died of bird flu in November 2003 — two years before the communist country reported any human infections to the World Health Organization.

At the last minute, however, the scientists asked without explanation to withdraw the journal report. But it was already in print.

The man's death was initially thought to have been caused by SARS, the scientists wrote. That raises the possibility that other cases attributed to SARS may have actually been the deadly H5N1 flu.