Agent-based models have become important tools in ecology, particularly in the study of infectious disease dynamics. Simulations of near-continuous movement paths guided by empirical data offer new avenues of investigation into disease transmission. Here, we simulate the spatiotemporal transmission dynamics of anthrax, the acute disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, a pathogen transmitted primarily via environmental reservoirs. We explore how calculations of the probabilities of contact between a host and infectious reservoirs are affected by the scale and method of analysis. At both the landscape and individual scales, empirical movement tracks offer previously unattainable estimates of impacts of movement decisions on contact rate metrics. However, the analytical method selected for the calculation of the probability of contact has notable impacts on the resulting estimates, with convex polygons virtually canceling out variation, and unions of local convex hulls (LoCoH methods) and space-time prisms reflecting reasonable variation, but differing in the magnitude of their estimates. The explicit consideration of behavioral states along movement pathways also impacts evaluations of exposure risk, though its effects differ across methods of analysis. Ultimately, simulations demonstrate that the incorporation of movement data into pathogen transmission analyses helps clarify the role of movement processes underlying the observed dynamics of infectious disease.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.