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Scientists in the United States have identified a new strain of influenza in harbour seals that could potentially impact human and animal health.

The H3N8 flu has been associated with the deaths of harbour seals in New England last year and researchers say the virus may have evolved from a type that had been circulating in birds. They say the discovery highlights the potential for pandemic flu to emerge from unexpected sources.

Oh really? This wouldn't have anything to do with looking for an excuse to cull the seal populations again, would it? How many people encounter a seal in their every day lives? Remember the bird flu pandemic that never was when only one in every 600 000 that actually became sick died? There were more people being killed crossing the street.

*looks around warily for sneezing seals*

So the seals got their flu from the birds and now they are going to give it to New Englanders, who will board planes and take it round the world? Hey ho. A flu pandemic is overdue, so at some point we'll have to deal with one. Let's hope the next pandemic is not as bad as Spanish Flu, which resulted in a cull of humans! Also wish that people with mild colds would not freak out and take anti-virals at their first sniff, so that the virus gains resistance and renders them useless when proper flu arrives. I will be interested to see if 'seal flu' makes it into my annual flu jab!

Well it looks like its time to head down into my bunker- oh wait I don't have one.