A year ago, bird flu was in the news nearly every day. The drumbeat of a pandemic threat was growing louder. Health officials hurried preparation plans.
Today, bird flu seems more like the punchline of a joke.
But experts say it remains just as dangerous ââ?¬â? and just as able to cause a worldwide outbreak of flu like none seen since 1918, when as many as 50 million people died.
ââ?¬Å?The reality is this virus is continuing to spread,ââ?¬Â said Christopher Olsen, a virologist at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s continuing to infect birds. Itââ?¬â?¢s continuing to kill human beings.ââ?¬Â