Abstract
Dengue is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that is endemic in tropical and subtropical countries. Many individual-level simulation models have been developed to test hypotheses about dengue virus transmission. Often these efforts assume that human host and mosquito vector populations are randomly or uniformly distributed in the environment. Although, the movement of mosquitoes is affected by spatial configuration of buildings and mosquito populations are highly clustered in key buildings, little research has focused on the influence of the local built environment in dengue transmission models. We developed an agent-based model of dengue transmission in a village setting to test the importance of using realistic environments in individual-level models of dengue transmission. The results from one-way ANOVA analysis of simulations indicated that the differences between scenarios in terms of infection rates as well as serotype-specific dominance are statistically significant. Specifically, the infection rates in scenarios of a realistic environment are more variable than those of a synthetic spatial configuration. With respect to dengue serotype-specific cases, we found that a single dengue serotype is more often dominant in realistic environments than in synthetic environments. An agent-based approach allows a fine-scaled analysis of simulated dengue incidence patterns. The results provide a better understanding of the influence of spatial heterogeneity on dengue transmission at a local scale.
Highlights
Dengue is a significant and growing public health concern in tropical and subtropical developing countries
A dengue vaccine has been licensed for use in several countries, but in most affected countries the current efforts for dengue prevention and control focus on reducing mosquito population [3]
In spite of the possibilities that the spatial distribution of a residential area can influence mosquito movement [14,29], there is a noticeable lack of research on this issue. Interested in addressing this issue, the main objectives of this study are twofold: (1) to develop an agent-based model for dengue transmission and (2) to determine how the spatial configuration of residential buildings has an impact on dengue incidence patterns
Summary
Dengue is a significant and growing public health concern in tropical and subtropical developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50–100 million dengue infections, transmitted primarily by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, occur annually in the Asia-Pacific region [1]. It has affected children under 15 years old in Thailand [2]. A dengue vaccine has been licensed for use in several countries, but in most affected countries the current efforts for dengue prevention and control focus on reducing mosquito population [3]. Time between exposure and infectiousness 4 days. 120 days Days of complete cross-immunity after recovery.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
