We're infectious disease experts. Here's how soon bird flu could cause a pandemic.

Huff Post features Thomas Russo on the timing and likelihood of the bird flu causing a pandemic. Russo said there is no “grounds for panic” yet for a human pandemic because of the virus’ current inefficiencies. He noted that the bird flu infections in humans have occurred primarily in individuals that have had close contact with poultry or dairy cows. H5N1 “does not efficiently infect humans, you need a more prolonged contact, probably a much higher dose,” he said. “And equally importantly, if not more importantly, those individuals that get infected, it doesn’t transmit well from human to human.”