A Brief History of Bird Flu

This article reviews what is known as of 2018 about avian influenza A and its genetic makeup, from its relationship with the 1918 H1N1 pandemic strain, to epidemics in birds, to zoonoses. The authors describe the virus’s origin, reassortment, and evolution of avian influenza. Finally, the article describes the ongoing risk to human health and how control in domestic bird populations can mitigate the risks.