Bird flu scientist predicts H5N1 virus will not reach United States

Bird flu scientist predicts H5N1 virus will not reach United States

A top bird flu scientist on Tuesday predicted that the H5N1 virus will not reach the United States this year.

Robert G. Webster, of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, said the number of times viruses have reached the Americas from Europe is infrequent, based on past behavior of influenza viruses.

"While wildlife people in the United States are watching for the appearance of this virus, I would suspect that it may not come this year," he said.

If it doesn't come this year, don't relax, because it will eventually come," Webster said, reports the AP.

I.L.