INTERVIEW ALERT: Wuhan Coronavirus Spread Experts Available for Comment

News provided by

Jan 23, 2020, 09:38 ET

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Jan. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With the first U.S. case confirmed in Washington state, there is increased cause for concern around the international spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus. The virus, which first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has sickened hundreds and spread to at least four other countries.

Global health research experts at the research institute RTI International are available to discuss the potential global health threat that the Wuhan Coronavirus poses. RTI created a heatmap to show the top 20 travel destinations from Wuhan and their vulnerability to the virus based on the passenger traffic of each city's major airport.

Richard Reithinger, MSc, PhD, Vice President of Global Health, is an epidemiologist with extensive field-based experience managing infectious disease programs in Africa, Central Asia and Latin America, as well as managing multi-country programs and developing standards-based country policies and strategies. He is an extensively published author in the field of malaria and other vector-borne disease epidemiology, case management, prevention and control.
Donal Bisanzio, PhD, Senior Epidemiologist, is an expert in infectious diseases in humans and animals. Much of his research focuses on vector-based and zoonotic diseases, such as malaria, Lyme disease, West Nile Virus, and parasitism. He is skilled in spatio-temporal statistical models, network analysis, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and many other methods and technologies for analyzing the spread of disease. This research helps guide interventions and control measures that protect people in vulnerable areas.

To request an interview, contact Madeline Laing at [email protected]. To access more RTI research about global health, visit www.rti.org and follow RTI on Twitter @RTI_Intl.

About RTI International
RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach—one that integrates expertise across the social and laboratory sciences, engineering, and international development. We believe in the promise of science, and we are inspired every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities, and businesses around the world. For more information, visit www.rti.org.

SOURCE RTI International