Mathematician, researchers calculate against Ebola, cholera

By Will Ferguson, College of Arts & Sciences

xueying-wangPULLMAN, Wash. – A mathematician is helping scientists at Washington State University by developing equations for early detection and containment of the Ebola virus in West Africa.

Work by Xueying (Snow) Wang, WSU assistant professor of mathematics, also indicates that previous models may underestimate the risk of a cholera epidemic.

“If we can predict the number of infections that will result from an outbreak and how they will distribute the disease over space and time, we can more effectively allocate what limited resources are available to fight the disease,” said Guy Palmer, director of the WSU Paul G. Allen School of Global Animal Health and a partner in Wang’s research.

Read more about their collaboration here.