Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 8, 2026

Multi-locus Variable-number Tandem-repeat Analysis of the Fish-pathogenic Bacterium Yersinia ruckeri by Multiplex PCR and Capillary Electrophoresis
10:33

Multi-locus Variable-number Tandem-repeat Analysis of the Fish-pathogenic Bacterium Yersinia ruckeri by Multiplex PCR and Capillary Electrophoresis

Published on: June 17, 2019

11.5K

Mathematical analysis of a multiple strain, multi-locus-allele system for antigenically variable infectious diseases

Alhaji Cherif1

  • 1Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Andrew Wiles Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, United Kingdom.

Mathematical Biosciences
|June 28, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Understanding pathogen competition is key for infectious disease control. This study models how distinct pathogen serotypes, like those causing HIV/AIDS and influenza, can self-organize into stable or cyclical coexistence patterns.

Area of Science:

  • Mathematical Biology
  • Epidemiology
  • Theoretical Ecology

Background:

  • Many significant pathogens, including those responsible for HIV/AIDS, influenza, malaria, dengue, and meningitis, exist as distinct serotypes that compete within host populations.
  • Mathematical models, particularly meta-population systems, are crucial for studying the dynamics of infectious diseases involving multiple competing pathogen strains.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analytically investigate a multiple strain model for infectious diseases with co-circulating serotypes.
  • To establish conditions for local asymptotic stability of steady states and the existence of oscillatory behaviors via Hopf bifurcation.
  • To explore how discrete antigenic forms in pathogens lead to self-organization and different coexistence or exclusion dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Revisiting and analyzing a multiple strain mathematical model for infectious disease dynamics.
  • Establishing analytical conditions for local asymptotic stability of equilibrium points.
  • Utilizing Hopf bifurcation analysis to identify conditions for oscillatory dynamics and cyclic behavior.

Main Results:

  • Necessary conditions for local asymptotic stability of steady states were determined.
  • Conditions for the emergence of oscillatory behaviors through Hopf bifurcation were established.
  • Demonstrated that discrete antigenic forms can lead to self-organization, resulting in either strain coexistence or competitive exclusion with discrete strain structures.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides analytical insights into the complex dynamics of infectious diseases with multiple competing pathogen strains.
  • Pathogen antigenic variation can drive self-organization, leading to predictable patterns of coexistence or exclusion.
  • Findings contribute to understanding disease persistence and evolution, informing epidemiological control strategies for diseases like influenza and malaria.
Keywords:
Antigenically diverse diseasesHopf bifurcationMultiple strain epidemic modelPeriodic solutionsStability analysisStrain structures

More Related Videos

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations08:03

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Published on: December 7, 2021

2.9K
Determining the Likelihood of Variant Pathogenicity Using Amino Acid-level Signal-to-Noise Analysis of Genetic Variation07:15

Determining the Likelihood of Variant Pathogenicity Using Amino Acid-level Signal-to-Noise Analysis of Genetic Variation

Published on: January 16, 2019

11.5K

Related Concept Videos

Epistasis Analysis01:09

Epistasis Analysis

Although Mendel chose seven unrelated traits in peas to study gene segregation, most traits involve multiple gene interactions that create a spectrum of phenotypes. When the interaction of various genes or alleles at different locations influences a phenotype, this is called epistasis. Epistasis often involves one gene masking or interfering with the expression of another (antagonistic epistasis). Epistasis often occurs when different genes are part of the same biochemical pathway. The...
6.2K
Modern Molecular Taxonomy01:29

Modern Molecular Taxonomy

Advancements in molecular biology have revolutionized the identification and characterization of bacteria, with multiple methods leveraging DNA sequencing for enhanced precision. As sequencing technologies improve and costs decline, these approaches are increasingly used in clinical, environmental, and evolutionary studies.Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) examines several housekeeping genes, essential chromosomal genes encoding cellular functions, to distinguish strains. Approximately...
840
Multiple Allele Traits01:49

Multiple Allele Traits

15.1K
Multiple Allele Traits01:49

Multiple Allele Traits

The Concept of Multiple Allelism
38.9K
Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Individual and Population Analysis01:23

Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Individual and Population Analysis

Mechanistic models are utilized in individual analysis using single-source data, but imperfections arise due to data collection errors, preventing perfect prediction of observed data. The mathematical equation involves known values (Xi), observed concentrations (Ci), measurement errors (εi), model parameters (ϕj), and the related function (ƒi) for i number of values. Different least-squares metrics quantify differences between predicted and observed values. The ordinary least...
337
Hardy-Weinberg Principle01:49

Hardy-Weinberg Principle

Diploid organisms have two alleles of each gene, one from each parent, in their somatic cells. Therefore, each individual contributes two alleles to the gene pool of the population. The gene pool of a population is the sum of every allele of all genes within that population and has some degree of variation. Genetic variation is typically expressed as a relative frequency, which is the percentage of the total population that has a given allele, genotype or phenotype.
77.5K