After bird flu it's penguin fever.

A disease has spread through offices in the North-East.

Faster than bird flu and deadlier than a dose of viper's venom, once caught there is no known antidote.

Symptoms to watch out for include intense concentration on a computer screen, metronomic mouse clicking and a compulsion to ask the question "what's your high score?".

Yes, penguin hitting - not the real thing, of course - has struck in a big way.

For those not yet initiated in the strange cyber sport, here are the rules.

You are a yeti with a big club.You click the mouse once, the penguin falls from a rock, you click again to swing the club and... well, you've probably guessed the rest.

Debate has raged on the best tactics for the game and the discussion of the ideal avian trajectory has reached fever pitch.

Unconfirmed high scores currently hover around the 600 mark and for those concerned, Pudding Chare has been assured that no penguin has been harmed in the making of the game.

Those who have yet to catch the bug should head for www.mironov.net/pingu/pingu2.swf or www.kvaris.com/penguin.php

You have been warned...