America's Worst Airport for Spreading Disease Is ...

... New York's JFK, scientists say
By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 29, 2012 3:41 PM CDT
America's Most Contagious Airport Is ...
JFK's connectivity and business makes it a top potential spreader of infectious disease.   (Shutterstock)

Which US airport is most likely to spread an infectious disease during an epidemic? This won't surprise New Yorkers: It's JFK. But its top ranking has nothing to do with dirtiness, reports the New York Daily News. MIT scientists who analyzed 40 of the biggest US airports compared them by location, links to other airports, number of passengers, travel patterns, and length of fliers' stays in the area.

They also considered the connectedness of the airport's connecting airports—if that makes sense. "You're a good spreader if your neighbors are good spreaders," says a researcher. Los Angeles International Airport landed in second place, but third place was a surprise: the smaller Honolulu International Airport, which links with busy airports in faraway spots such as Asia. Click for a closer look at the study. (More MIT stories.)

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