Study shows which airports are most likely to spread contagions

WASHINGTON – Dulles International Airport is the seventh most likely airport to spread contagions that could lead to a pandemic, according to a new study from MIT.

New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport tops the list.

Researchers studied the forty largest airports in the U.S. to determine which are the most likely to influence the spread of contagious diseases.

It has nothing to do with the cleanliness of the airport, but where its passengers fly, how many passengers it go through the airport, and where it fits in the air transportation network.

The researchers say the new study could help public health officials determine how to spread vaccines and contain diseases for future pandemics.

Watch this video that explains the research:

Here’s the top 10:

  1. John F. Kennedy International Airport
  2. Los Angeles International Airport
  3. Honolulu International Airport
  4. San Francisco International Airport,
  5. Newark Liberty International Airport
  6. Chicago O’Hare International Airport
  7. Washington Dulles International Airport
  8. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
  9. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

The study was first published in the journal PLoS.

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