The dynamics of any infectious disease are heavily dependent on the rate of transmission from infectious to susceptible hosts. In many disease models, this rate is captured in a single compound parameter, the probability of transmission β. However, closer examination reveals how β can be further decomposed into a number of biologically relevant variables, including contact rates among individuals and the probability that contact events actually result in disease transmission. We start by introducing some of the basic concepts underlying the different approaches to modeling disease transmission and by laying out why a more detailed understanding of the variables involved is usually desirable. We then describe how parameter estimates of these variables can be derived from empirical data, drawing primarily from the existing literature on human diseases. Finally, we discuss how these concepts and approaches may be applied to the study of pathogen transmission in wildlife diseases. In particular, we highlight recent technical innovations that could help to overcome some the logistical challenges commonly associated with empirical disease research in wild populations.
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Keywords
- Simian Immunodeficiency Virus
- Rabies Virus
- Transmission Probability
- Classical Swine Fever Virus
- Secondary Case
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Real, L.A., Biek, R. (2007). Infectious Disease Modeling and the Dynamics of Transmission. In: Childs, J.E., Mackenzie, J.S., Richt, J.A. (eds) Wildlife and Emerging Zoonotic Diseases: The Biology, Circumstances and Consequences of Cross-Species Transmission. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 315. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-70962-6_2
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