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