Epidemic Spreading in an Animal Trade Network - Comparison of Distance-Based and Network-Based Control Measures

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Network Science
• Veterinary Public Health

Background:

• Animal movement networks are crucial for understanding epidemic spread.
• Current control measures often rely on geographical proximity, which may be suboptimal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of network-based versus distance-based control measures for epidemics in animal holdings.
• To evaluate the impact of different holding types and network structures on epidemic control.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Susceptible-Infected-Removed (SIR) model on a directed network of animal movements.
• Simulated epidemic control by removing holdings based on distance (1-10 km) and network centrality parameters (out-degree, infection chain, betweenness, closeness).

Main Results:

• Network-based control measures were substantially more efficient, requiring fewer removed holdings to achieve the same epidemic reduction.
• Network centrality measures like out-degree and betweenness centrality demonstrated superior performance.
• Distance-based measures required removing significantly more holdings (2.75-4.15 times) to match the efficacy of network-based approaches.

Conclusions:

• Network centrality parameters offer a more efficient strategy for epidemic control in animal populations.
• Targeting key holdings identified through network analysis can rapidly fragment the network and minimize epidemic size.
• The findings highlight the importance of network structure in designing effective disease control strategies.