Just like people, birds can get sick from flu viruses, but bird flu viruses rarely infect people.  The bird flu that has been spreading quickly among wild birds and poultry in many countries is a very serious type of bird flu called H5N1.  Currently the H5N1 bird flu does not spread easily from person-to-person.

Most of the human infections with bird flu in other parts of the world were caused by very close contact with infected birds.  In the United Stated, poultry farms are very careful to prevent disease. 

Health experts are concerned that H5N1 bird flu could change into a virus that easily spreads from person-to-person.  Scientists around the world are watching for changes in bird flu viruses because that could signal the beginning of a panemic.