"The H5N6 Virus Containing Internal Genes From H9N2 Exhibits Enhanced Pathogenicity and Transmissibility"
(avian influenza - bird flu)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/tbed/6252849
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the H5N6 virus, whose internal genes were derived from H9N2, could pose a greater threat to human health. Therefore, continuous monitoring of different recombinant H5N6 viruses in poultry should be carried out to prevent their transmission to humans
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It's not just the h5n1 type of avian influenza that is a problem, a "looming threat" somewhere near the horizon. There are other types that are making evolutionary gains to infect more fleshy biomass.
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Genetic recombination of AIVs is very common in wild birds, but stable genomic evolution occurs in poultry [18, 19]. Due to the migration routes, habitat geography, and ecological distribution of birds, as well as complex herd immunity, progressively AIV carried by birds accumulate amino acid substitution, while stable host transformations such as poultry, horses, pigs, and humans lead to several poorly characterized mutations that separate single clonal influenza virus strains from the AIV gene pool of large wild birds [20].
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The whole world (but mostly the Northern Hemisphere) is a natural laboratory for avian influenza viruses. These viruses "innovate" between wild birds, and then pave new roads into many mammals, especially the very large biomass of domestic mammals.
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the combination of large poultry populations allows natural selection to effectively drive rapid antigenic and genetic changes within a single subtype, while recombination with the AIV gene pool carried in wild birds contributes to the generation of a new genome pool [18]. Poultry plays an important role in the evolution of new recombinant AIVs, and stable genetic evolution is a characteristic of AIVs for adapting to mammals [18, 19].
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Wild birds (and small/backyard birds) drive the evolution of new genetic traits. Large domestic bird flocks stabilize the new traits, allowing for "scaling up" infection. As Rob Wallace put it: "Big Farms Make Big Flu" (he has a book).
A great opportunity to connect and share our work: At MV Day, our institute introduced itself and discussed zoonoses with the community. 
Cats may provide a pathway for bird flu to infect humans
