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Comment
. 2005 Nov 17;438(7066):293-5.
doi: 10.1038/438293a.

Epidemiology: dimensions of superspreading

Alison P Galvani, Robert M May
Comment

Epidemiology: dimensions of superspreading

Alison P Galvani et al. Nature. .

Abstract

Analyses of contact-tracing data on the spread of infectious disease, combined with mathematical models, show that control measures require better knowledge of variability in individual infectiousness.

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K. HESSE/GETTY IMAGES
Figure 1
Figure 1. Heterogeneity in infectiousness for a range of diseases.
The measure used is the 20/XX index, which quantifies the proportion of the transmission (XX%) that results from the most infectious 20% of the population. Confidence intervals are included where available. The interval for tick-borne encephalitis (Italy) indicates possible values depending on assumptions made about host susceptibility. STDs, sexually transmitted diseases; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome.
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