Australia 's ability to cope with an influenza pandemic will be put to the test when the country's largest-ever health simulation exercise begins next week.

An "infected" person flying into Brisbane airport on Tuesday will trigger the mock outbreak.

Exercise Cumpston will last four days from Monday, cost $4.1 million and involve more than 1,000 officials and health workers, 55 international observers, and all states and territories, Health Minister Tony Abbott told parliament on Thursday.

Mr Abbott said the exercise would help test Australia 's border controls, disease detection and surveillance, contact tracing, quarantine and treatment systems.

It would also test agencies' ability to make decisions and coordinate their response, which will include the establishment of fever clinics and distribution of anti-viral drugs.

" Australia is recognised as a world leader in pandemic preparedness," Mr Abbott said.

The government has already spent more than $600 million preparing for an influenza epidemic, including building up one of the world's largest anti-viral stockpiles.

Fears were raised of a worldwide influenza pandemic when the deadly H5N1 bird flu was found in humans, but so far there have been no proven cases of person-to-person transmission.

The government has stockpiled enough anti-virals Relenza and Tamiflu to cover about 20 per cent of Australia 's population, and is waiting on orders that would take that figure to 44 per cent.

But it intends to hand out the medication only to sick people and those in direct contact with infected patients - not automatically to sufferers' next-of-kin and all health workers.

Exercise Cumpston is named after Dr John Cumpston, the health department's first director general and an epidemiologist responsible for showing quarantine measures could help limit the spread of the deadly Spanish flu pandemic in 1918-19.

Queensland Health Minister Stephen Robertson said Exercise Cumpston was the first of its size and scope anywhere in the world.

The exercise will also involve the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital and include a mock community assessment clinic at Logan .

Source: http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=324524