PANIC, PANIC, WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE.....

Yes it's the World Health Organisation at it again. Apparently the bird-flu outbreak is "slipping out of control" and we are on the edge of the abyss, potentially looking at the end of humankind.

Just a quick reality check here - so far this disease has killed EIGHT people. That's it. EIGHT. Now I know that it can't be nice to have a friend or relative die from this disease, but eight deaths does not strike me as the end of the world. Also if it can only be caught from live poultry then what are these people doing to their chickens to catch it? Perhaps the gene pool is better off without people who get that close to chickens?

What is a lot scarier is the news today that over 50% of all patients in hospital in South Africa are HIV positive. And South Africa has a much lower rate of infection that neighbouring countries such as Botswana. Southern Africa is facing depopulation on a massive scale, and the WHO is worried about sneezing chickens.

On the plus side though we may be able to get cheap flights and holidays again soon, just like the good old days of SARS.