My question is, which is more likely, that a particularly nasty virus that so far does not spread from human to human will mutate to obtain that ability, or that one of the many viruses that already can spread from human to human will mutate to become particularly nasty? Does anyone know this? And if not, then why is this new threat getting so much press?
Furthermore, we already have a particularly nasty virus that does spread from human to human, under the right circumstances. It is called HIV, the scourge of many undeveloped areas. Why is the potential threat of H5N1 worth more air time than the known threat of HIV? Oh yeah, I forgot-- the news cycle.