Mailborne transmission of anthrax: Modeling and implications

Glenn F. Webb, Martin J. Blaser

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

A mathematical model is developed to analyze the transmission of inhalational anthrax through the postal system by cross-contamination of mail. The model consists of state vectors describing the numbers of cross-contaminated letters generated, the numbers of anthrax spores on these letters, the numbers of resulting infections in recipients, and matrices of transition probabilities acting on these vectors. The model simulates the recent outbreak in the United States, and provides a general framework to investigate the potential impact of possible future outbreaks.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7027-7032
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume99
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - May 14 2002
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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