Is influenza A (H5N1) virus the only avian influenza virus of concern regarding a pandemic?
Although H5N1 probably poses the greatest current pandemic threat, other avian influenza A subtypes also have infected people in recent years. For example, in 1999, H9N2 infections were identified in Hong Kong; in 2002; and 2003, H7N7 infections occurred in the Netherlands and H7N3 infections occurred in Canada. These viruses also have the potential to give rise to the next pandemic.
