So far there’s been only one reported human case of bird flu in Texas this year in April and 46 total in the U.S., according to the Centers for

Viruses work by taking control of our cells and carefully reprogramming them into machines to make more viruses. Because of this, a virus infecting a new host species is like someone trying to win an argument by shouting at people in a language that they can’t understand. And this is where pigs come in.

Another cause for concern: flu season is underway in the U.S., and as seasonal influenza virus goes around, “humans, ourselves, could be a mixing vessel,” Davis says. If a person were simultaneously infected with bird flu and seasonal flu, the two viruses could theoretically combine to create a more transmissible strain.

People have been hearing a lot about H5N1 bird flu — or highly pathogenic avian influenza — since a B.C. teen became the first human to get the virus in Canada and is in hospital.