Erregerstroms

Erregerstroms, meaning "pathogen streams," is a term used in some epidemiological and environmental health contexts to describe the directional transport and movement of pathogens through environments and populations. The concept treats pathogen spread as streams that originate from reservoirs and flow along routes defined by media, barriers, and human behavior, providing a framework to relate sources of infection to their transmission pathways.

Components of a pathogen stream include airborne aerosols and droplets, waterborne transmission, contaminated surfaces (fomites), and vectors. The trajectory of a stream is influenced by ventilation, wind, temperature and humidity, sanitation, crowding, and movement patterns, as well as the biological properties of the agent such as decay rate and infectious dose. Streams can intersect, diverge, or be redirected by interventions or environmental changes.

Applications of the concept appear in hospital infection control, water and wastewater risk assessment, and urban design, where it helps identify potential transmission corridors and evaluate interventions such as ventilation upgrades, surface cleaning, or source containment. Modelling approaches range from flow-based to agent-based models, aiming to estimate stream reach and critical control points.

Limitations include the lack of a standardized definition and measurable consensus, as well as the challenge of capturing complex, stochastic real-world dynamics. When used carefully, the Erregerstroms framework can support integrated risk assessment by linking sources, pathways, and potential outcomes in a single conceptual model.