While in Australia yesterday it was quoted by a doctor on one of the news channels that about 2000 Australians die of the flue each year out of a total infection base of 4,000,000. This relates to a mortality rate of 0.05%. While the current number of SARS is only 1600 world wide and 60 deaths this equates to a mortality rate of 3.75%. If the flue had the same mortality rate in Australia alone, 150,000 people a year would die or 37,500,000 worldwide. I think this is why the WHO is just a little concerned about this thing.