seeding blooms of infection

[GoodTaste]

I understand "seeding blooms of infection" as "seeding clusters of infection." Am I correct? The use of "blooms" sounds odd to me.


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Hidden Outbreaks Spread Through U.S. Cities Far Earlier Than Americans Knew, Estimates Say
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Even in early February — while the world focused on China — the virus was not only likely to be spreading in multiple American cities, but also seeding blooms of infection elsewhere in the United States, the researchers found.

-from New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/23/us/coronavirus-early-outbreaks-cities.html

 

[GoesStation]

You're correct. Clusters of bacteria in a petri dish, or of algae on the surface of a pond, can be called "blooms". It's an apt word for the context.

 

[SoothingDave]

It's a bit of a rosy word choice for a grim subject.