ARGOS for Biological Incidents

 

In case of biological agents, or releases of sufficiently infectious material, the airborne spread may take place over large distances at concentration levels posing a risk to humans.

When running prognoses of releases of biological agents ARGOS basically use the same mechanisms and features as when doing prognoses of chemical releases, namely the RIMPUFF and UDM models.

 

The dispersion models in ARGOS have never been tested in real life for dispersion of agents that can affect humans.

 

However the Rimpuff model included in ARGOS has been used to verify and estimate the spread of the Foot-and-mouth disease that is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed domesticated and wild animals.

 

The results of the calculations fit very well with the actual spread.

 

Read article about Foot and Mouth Disease Virus Transmission.