On the sylvatic transmission of T. cruzi, the parasite causing Chagas disease: a view from an agent-based model

N. El Saadi, A. Bah, T. Mahdjoub and C. Kribs

Ecological Modelling, 2020, vol. 423, issue C

Abstract: In this paper, we develop an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate the sylvatic transmission of the parasite T. cruzi, causative agent of Chagas disease (also called American trypanosomiasis). This ABM incorporates host-vector interactions, demographical processes for both hosts and vectors, and also vector and host dispersals. We implement the ABM under parameter values corresponding to real conditions in nature. The ABM simulations give quantitative results predicting the prevalence of the parasite T. cruzi in both hosts and vectors, the abundance of host and vector populations, and numerical estimates of the probability of persistence for T.cruzi population, depending on different initial spatial distributions of infection. Further, our study highlights the role of the host population as the determinant factor for infection transmission and parasite persistence, and presents pictures showing the emergence of clusters of infection.

Keywords: Chagas disease; Trypanosoma cruzi; Sylvatic transmission; Agent-based model; Host-vector interactions; Demographical process; Dispersal process; Simulations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:423:y:2020:i:c:s0304380020300739

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109001

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