Current strains of bird flu are “poorly suited for pandemic potential,” said Dr. Shira Doron, a Tufts Medicine infectious disease expert.

The nation's first human death due to the bird flu occurred this month, the latest development in a global outbreak that, while mostly limited to birds and mammals such as minks, polar bears, cows, and domestic cats—has also sickened 67 Americans and has public health officials watching closely for signs that a human pandemic is in the offing.

We last spoke in April, after a dairy worker became infected with bird flu. At the time, you described your level of concern about bird flu as “medium.” How would you describe your level of worry now?

As the bird flu outbreak grows, consumers may worry about that morning omelet and the flu's spread to humans. The big picture: Eggs sold at grocery stores remain safe for human consumption, according to the Food and Drug Administration,

As bird flu continues to ravage farms across the nation, fears have grown of bird flu starting a massive epidemic in humans.