Don't get me wrong. For those, thankfully few, people currently involved in the Surrey Foot & Mouth outbreak the situation is clearly devastating. For the rest of the UK cloven hoofed livestock industry it is at present a considerable inconvenience. But if, as seems possible, animal movement is allowed again in a few days, it may not turn into the same kind of disaster as that in 2001.
That is not the opinion you might reach from the popular media, of course. It has featured pictures of the funeral pires of six years ago alongside big black headlines. We should remember, however, that with Parliament in recess, August is a slow month for news and this has come as a gift to under-employed reporters.
The other notable feature of the last few days is the personal involvement of the Prime Minister. This is commendable and his willingness to be interviewed on the subject every day might be interpreted as encouraging. But if I were cynical I might also wonder if maintaining such a high profile about an industry in which he has previously displayed little interest might be opportunist in that it keeps him in the news and David Cameron on the sidelines.
Regarding the source of the infection - it is, in my view, too soon to point the accusing finger. Yes, the strain of the virus is the same as that in use at Pirbright and, circumstantially, this leads to suspicion. But Guildford is not very far from Gatwick Airport and the possibility that it was imported via that route should surely not yet be discounted.
Please understand, I am not suggesting this F&M outbreak is of no consequence. Clearly it is and potentially it could become worse. Let's hope and pray it doesn't. Meanwhile at least let's treat it with reasoned perspective.