Can we forecast viral outbreaks like we forecast the weather?

Early warnings allow us to prepare for the unpredictable. We are notified when the weather turns ugly, if there’s a traffic jam on the drive to work, or if the airport changes our departure gate. But one of the most widespread, unpredictable moments everyone will experience is sickness—even if it’s only the common cold—and yet, we have practically no early-warning system to alert us as a virus spreads through the community.

We’ve all learned how to help keep illness at bay: washing hands more frequently or choosing to stay home. But knowing when to take these precautions requires forewarning, which is why Los Alamos National Laboratory is developing technologies that could alert a state, a city, even a specific airport, of disease outbreak.

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