That doesn't sound familiar, but wouldn't explain how the flu was (like influenza each year) all over the world pretty much simultaneously. Flu is not host-dependent or whatever, it does jump from species to species. The reason we have vaccine in the US is that the strains are isolated from Chinese strains. If memory serves, in China the flu strains change by jumping from fowl, to pigs, to people, etc.
Also discussed on Wikipedia here under "Research". What you are saying makes much more sense, and it seems like they are finding it came from fowl. I am betting it was first reported at Ft. Riley, KS, but was actually appearing at the same time all over the globe.