Abstract
We study the dynamics of epidemic and reaction-diffusion processes in metapopulation models with heterogeneous connectivity patterns. In susceptible-infected-removed-like processes, along with the standard local epidemic threshold, the system exhibits a global invasion threshold. We provide an explicit expression of the threshold that sets a critical value of the diffusion/mobility rate below, which the epidemic is not able to spread to a macroscopic fraction of subpopulations. The invasion threshold is found to be affected by the topological fluctuations of the metapopulation network. The results presented provide a general framework for the understanding of the effect of travel restrictions in epidemic containment.
Keywords
invasion threshold, infectious disease, travel, metapopulation networks
Subject Categories
Communicable diseases, Epidemics
Disciplines
Physics
Publisher
American Physical Society
Publication Date
10-5-2007
Rights Information
©2007 American Physical Society
Rights Holder
American Physical Society
Permanent URL
Recommended Citation
Colizza, Vittoria and Vespignani, Alessandro, "Invasion threshold in heterogeneous metapopulation networks" (2007). Physics Faculty Publications. Paper 185. http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20002145
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Notes
Originally published in Physical Review Letters, v.99 no.14 (2007), 148701. DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.148701. Dr. Vespignani is affiliated with Northeastern University as of the time of deposit.