Hi Eeyore,
I love a good debate, but others will get bored ;-)
I was going to reply off lilst, but you have misquoted me, so at the risk of boring others I am replying here.
No the medical literature is not divided on how the infection is spread - it is spread by saliva.
There is uncertainty about whether or not the infective load is increased (and by implication the illness more serious) when stomach contents are regurgitated into humans.
My comment: "We simply do not know for sure - the research has not been done" soley related to this uncertainty, not as you imply to whether or not infection occurs by saliva in biting. Such subtle and potentially misleading quoting is common in the mass media but should be avoided on forums like this.
I understand exactly why you feel that I was guilty of pedantry in discussing hypochondriasis - but a quick goodle (e.g
http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic3122.htm , the first non advert choice) will show you that hypochondriasis is considered to be psychological illness. Many people, and I'm sure many reading this, seek the help of doctors and nurses when they feel unwell, especially if they have fever. I was trying to gently point out that being a bit dismissive and labelling them as hypochondriacs was being unkind (and inaccurate).
I suspect that the patients that your great friend the practice nurse has remarked upon will have had some symptoms, probably fever and aches and pains (and in the case of the ?bird flu, some snuffles, cough etc.) - why else would they think they have serious infections?
This means that they _were_ ill, were worried about it and sought help. OK they may not have been seriously ill, but to write them off as "none was actually ill" is unkind. Such feelings in health workers also makes it difficult to reassure and help those worried about their health understand how to handle minor infections on there own next time.
Dismissive attitudes are readily noticed by those who are feeling under the weather.