The long-term, global implications of emerging viral infections are only just being considered. Many consider SARS to be a dress rehearsal for the emergence of an incredibly virulent strain of avian flu that can transcend the species barrier between birds and humans, mutate into a contagious form that is infectious between people and lead us to a global flu pandemic at least on the scale of the Spanish flu of 1918-1919. Read my full report on emerging viral infections on the Viral Infection Emerging page.