For more information about this meeting, contact Tim Reluga, Andrew Belmonte, Mari Royer.
| Title: | Modeling the Impact of an Epidemic on Network Topology |
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| Seminar: | The Pritchard Lab Seminar |
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| Speaker: | Shweta Bansal, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Penn State |
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| Abstract: |
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| In models of disease transmission on contact networks, the
probability of exposure is determined by the connectivity (degree) of
the individual (node). Thus, the most highly connected individuals in
a contact network have both a higher probability of spreading
infection through the population and a higher rate of exposure
(susceptibility) through social contacts. As an epidemic sweeps
through a population, this heterogeneity leads to systematic
structural changes in the active portion of the network, removing
immunized indivdauls who no longer participate in the chains of
transmission. While the impact of network structure on the progression
of an epidemic has been well studied, there has been relatively little
work on network evolution during the course of an epidemic. We
analytically investigate the impact of epidemic dynamics on the
underlying host population structure and find that the structural
evolution of the network varies with the original topology of the
network and the contagiousness of the disease. We identify the
mechanisms acting on the network topology to make them sparser and
consider questions about the patterns of immunity that arise during
disease outbreaks. We then extend this investigation to to study the
impact of past epidemics on the dynamics of future outbreaks. |
Room Reservation Information
| Room Number: | MB106 |
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| Date: | 02 / 23 / 2009 |
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| Time: | 02:30pm - 03:30pm |
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