Modelling disease spread through random and regular contacts in clustered populations

K.T.D. Eames

Theoretical Population Biology, 2008, vol. 73, issue 1, 104-111

Abstract: An epidemic spreading through a network of regular, repeated, contacts behaves differently from one that is spread by random interactions: regular contacts serve to reduce the speed and eventual size of an epidemic. This paper uses a mathematical model to explore the difference between regular and random contacts, considering particularly the effect of clustering within the contact network. In a clustered population random contacts have a much greater impact, allowing infection to reach parts of the network that would otherwise be inaccessible. When all contacts are regular, clustering greatly reduces the spread of infection; this effect is negated by a small number of random contacts.

Keywords: Epidemic; Network; Clustering; Pair-wise approximation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:thpobi:v:73:y:2008:i:1:p:104-111

DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2007.09.007

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