A HYBRID MODEL FOR STUDYING SPATIAL ASPECTS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Authored by Benjamin J. Binder, Matthew J. Simpson

Date Published: 2012-10

DOI: 10.1017/s1446181112000296

Sponsors: Australian Research Council (ARC)

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

We consider a hybrid model, created by coupling a continuum and an agent-based model of infectious disease. The framework of the hybrid model provides a mechanism to study the spread of infection at both the individual and population levels. This approach captures the stochastic spatial heterogeneity at the individual level, which is directly related to deterministic population level properties. This facilitates the study of spatial aspects of the epidemic process. A spatial analysis, involving counting the number of infectious agents in equally sized bins, reveals when the spatial domain is nonhomogeneous.

Tags

Agent-based model Infectious diseases Spatial heterogeneity continuum model