How disease risk awareness modulates transmission: coupling infectious disease models with behavioural dynamics

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Game Theory
• Mathematical Modeling

Background:

• Traditional epidemiological models often overlook adaptive human behavior.
• Behavioral changes, particularly in response to disease awareness, significantly impact transmission dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a theoretical framework integrating behavioral and epidemiological dynamics.
• To investigate how infection awareness influences disease spread in a population.

Main Methods:

• Coupled a game theory model for social behavior with a susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) epidemiological model.
• Incorporated infection awareness as a factor influencing contact rates.
• Analyzed the impact of awareness on disease dynamics within theoretical contact networks (global vs. local).

Main Results:

• Increased individual infection awareness leads to a decrease in the final fraction of infected individuals.
• The spatial structure of contact networks plays a crucial role in determining the disease's steady state, even with heightened awareness.

Conclusions:

• Adaptive behavior, driven by infection awareness, can mitigate disease spread.
• Network topology is a critical determinant of disease outcomes, interacting with behavioral responses.