If Most Avian Influenza Viruses Do Not Infect Humans, Why is Bird Flu Considered to be Such a Huge Threat?
One strain of avian flu, identified as “H5N1”, has been known to pass from birds to humans. The fear is that this strain of the virus could merge with a human virus, or mutate into a new strain that will spread more easily from person to person. Humans would not have any natural resistance to any new strain that emerges which is the reason why the threat is so huge and the anticipated number of deaths so high.
