It may not be as bad as Dr Nabarro predicted — 150 million deaths — but nonetheless we cannot deny the fact that the world faces a clear and present danger of pandemic proportions in bird flu. Even the most cautious estimates talk of at least 7.4 million deaths resulting from the dangerous strain of the killer flu. Also, what is not disputed is the fact that the next outbreak of the flu will of a deadlier variety, a strain of human flu that could spread fast from human to human wreaking havoc across the globe. Unlike in the past, the disease isn’t likely to be confined to the parts of Asia but will stalk the whole world.