H5N1 is firmly entrenched in the United States, experts say: Avian influenza is evolving unpredictably, adapting to mammals and raising concerns about its potential to cause a human pandemic, says computational biologist Martha Nelson, a Scientist at the NIH who has been monitoring H5N1 outbreaks. Confirmation of infections in rodents near farms is particularly concerning, says veterinarian and epidemiologist Meghan Davis. “There is absolutely no chance of containment, and we now have to think about mitigation and monitoring,” said epidemiologist Natasha Bagdasarian.