Simulating an Outbreak of Pandemic Flu (broadcast Friday, March 14th, 2008)

What can simulations of a flu outbreak in the city of Chicago teach us about how to better respond to a real-world pandemic? Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of scientists reports on work using three different computer models examining how a pandemic influenza outbreak might travel through a city similar in size to Chicago.

The models examined what effects different responses to an outbreak, from issuing antiviral treatments to closing down schools, would have on the spread of a hypothetical flu outbreak. In this segment, we'll talk with one of the researchers about the work, and about how lessons learned in a simulated outbreak might translate into the real world. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.