If cold (flu) cases were mapped geographically over time, would you see the disease move in continuous waves or pop up in locations sporadically?

Question

If cold (flu) cases were mapped geographically over time, would you see the disease move in continuous waves or pop up in locations sporadically?

In: Mathematics

Answer 1

Plagues used to spread to adjacent areas. Occasionally ships would carry it some distance and it would just pop up.

Now with air travel if disease reaches a “civilized” area it spreads by air transport all around the world.

Ebola pops up in African towns with no transport system. So it spreads in the town and then to nearby areas. The airlines canceled flights to the country to prevent it from spreading.