As a conspiracy theory, it almost sounds like some bio-pharma type company is looking to weaponize the flu -- they just need to manipulate the DNA so that the flu is optimized for the existing vectors. The HPAI (H5N1 bird flu) hasn't figured out how to reliably jump species so the folks who make money with vaccines need to help it along. . . so they can sell more vaccine. What better way than to find out what mother nature did in 1918 and just do it again. There's another one for the tin-foil hat crowd.