Bird flu pandemic simulated in Indonesia

Indonesia has simulated a human bird flu pandemic in preparations for the prospect of a real-life situation.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it was the largest ever pandemic simulation, in the country which has had 107 human deaths from bird flu.

Subhash Salunke, head of the WHO in Indonesia, told the BBC: "The plan is very scientific. Implementation is the critical issue. And that's what we're going to learn from the simulation exercise: which are the gaps, what are the holes, and how do we really breach them when it really strikes."

The simulation, which lasted over three days, involved 1,000 people and 20 different institutions to examine to readiness to quickly stop a pandemic.

Over the course of the recreation, authorities quickly shut schools and businesses and quarantined residents, with the police and soldiers setting up barricades around the Dangin Tukadaya village, which was the starting point for the outbreak in the mock scenario.

Figures from the WHO show there have been 381 confirmed cases and 240 deaths from bird flu since 2003.