A simple explanation for the low impact of border control as a countermeasure to the spread of an infectious disease

Gianpaolo Scalia Tomba; Jacco Wallinga

doi:10.1016/j.mbs.2008.02.009

A simple explanation for the low impact of border control as a countermeasure to the spread of an infectious disease

Math Biosci. 2008 Jul-Aug;214(1-2):70-2. doi: 10.1016/j.mbs.2008.02.009. Epub 2008 Feb 29.

Authors

Gianpaolo Scalia Tomba¹, Jacco Wallinga

Affiliation

¹ Department of Mathematics, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Roma, Italy. scaliato@mat.uniroma2.it

PMID: 18387639
DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2008.02.009

Abstract

A simple model for the effect of border control or travel restrictions is proposed. It can be used to predict the corresponding results in quite complex disease spread models and has the advantage of providing easy qualitative understanding of the effects of this kind of intervention.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Algorithms
Communicable Disease Control / methods*
Communicable Diseases / epidemiology
Communicable Diseases / transmission*
Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control*
Disease Transmission, Infectious
Humans
Influenza, Human / epidemiology
Influenza, Human / prevention & control
Influenza, Human / transmission
Models, Biological*
Travel*