# 791
New Zealand has long been in the forefront of pandemic preparedness, and this month they have been running multiple pandemic drills.
Notable in this report, the New Zealand government is apparently assuming a CFR (Case Fatality Ratio) of between 3% and 7%, which is considerably higher than the United States is using.
Bird flu readiness put to the test
By LYNDA DAHLBERG - Whangarei Leader | Tuesday, 22 May 2007
A mock bird flu pandemic struck Whangarei Hospital last week.
A community based assessment centre was established in the ambulance bay of the hospital and a range of 'avian flu infected patients' were treated.
Patients, who were played by Red Cross volunteers and Whangarei Girls' and Boys' High School students - included a schizophrenic and two sisters whose family didn't believe in medicine.
Another patient had a cardiac arrest in the waiting room and was rushed to a special isolated intensive care unit.
The pandemic was part of Operation Cruickshank, a nationwide test to see if New Zealand has the ability to deal with an outbreak of bird flu.
District health boards nationwide, along with other organisations including police, fire service and border control, are involved.
The assessment centre will be used in the event of a real pandemic to prevent flu victims going to their hospital's emergency department and infecting others.
About 60 staff were involved in the exercise at Whangarei Hospital, including doctors, nurses and managers.
The Health Ministry predicts 40 percent of the population will be infected in the event of a real avian flu pandemic, which in Northland could mean 50,000 people suffering symptoms.
About 17,000 will need primary care and an estimated 6000 will need hospitalisation, says Northland District Health Board clinical risk manager Ruth McKenzie.
The fatality rate is predicted to be between 3 and 7 percent.
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