# Bird Flu--Unsettling News. No Giant Fonts, But Very Worrisome. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 9, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-flu-unsettling-news-no-giant-fonts-but-very-worrisome/293670 "2005-03-09T15:04:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-flu-unsettling-news-no-giant-fonts-but-very-worrisome/293670/1 "2005-03-09T15:04:13Z")
Human Vector Carriers, that is, people who can carry the H5 Bird Influenza without actually suffering from the disease itsself, have been detected in Vietnam. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/03/09/news/flu.html](http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/03/09/news/flu.html) As I understand it, this means that [ul] [li]The virus can infect others, via human carriers[/li][li]The virus is adapting to humans quickly, thus greatly raising the threat posed.[/li][li]If the virus **is** adapting, it will become much more contageous.[/li][/ul] Right? Wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-flu-unsettling-news-no-giant-fonts-but-very-worrisome/293670/2 "2005-03-09T16:20:49Z")
Well, yeah, I suppose. And then: [ul] [li] Lots of people will get it.[/li][li] The virus will run through the population, becoming slightly weaker with every round.[/li][li] Soon it will become “just another virus”.[/li][li] At which point it will fall off the media’s radar, and you will stop hearing about it.[/li][/ul] West Nile did this. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-flu-unsettling-news-no-giant-fonts-but-very-worrisome/293670/3 "2005-03-09T16:25:28Z")
The virus may adapt, but that won’t necessarily make it more dangerous. The really big fear is of it mutating in conjunction with the regular influenza to make a superflu. that’s a serious situation waiting to happen.