London - Fans of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney have been invited to bid for a tiny piece of musical history - germs from a bout of flu that caused him to cancel a recent gig.
After two days on the eBay website, the germs have received two bids - the highest for £1,20 (about R15).
British fan Ian Mears claims he caught the bug from McCartney when he met him earlier this month.
"I believe this is the same strain of flu, and effectively his virus," Londoner Mears told the Daily Star newspaper on Wednesday. "I had no cold on the Saturday, then on Sunday I spent most of the afternoon with Paul and by Tuesday I too had a cold."
Successful bidders will receive their germs by post. "The highest bidder will receive a resealable bag that I will cough into," he said. "Or if preferred, they can have a plastic container full of mucus."