With bird flu outbreaks being confirmed in five countries and with warnings that it will reach the USA by autumn, the warnings are coming in for companies to review their insurance policies and Human Resources procedures. Everything from leave policies to crisis support.

A Mercer Human Resource Consulting study warns companies that they might expect 50 per cent absenteeism in the event of an outbreak and gives specific details on which policies and operations to review in order to limit the disease. The white paper is available on the special website that Mercer has set up.

To even describe the potential impact on society can invite accusations of spreading alarmist hype. But when warnings come from respectable organisations, it's a sign to take notice.