There's good news about the so-called Hong Kong avian flu. It won't turn you into a bird. Actually, there's lots of good news, but you wouldn't know it from reading the papers or watching the networks. Alas, once again the urge to sensationalize health news has made the media feverish. Now, for a shot of reality.
Flu always mutates at least slightly each year.
A flu that didn't kill would never be noticed. Each year on average, some 20,000 Americans die of flu. And of course, by definition the flu is a virus. The reason we get the flu is that it is routinely carried around in ducks, and sometimes geese and chickens. These birds usually suffer little from it or not at all.