Antagonistic coinfection in rock-paper-scissors models during concurrent epidemics
J Menezes1, R Menezes2, S Batista3
1Research Centre for Data Intelligence, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Paul Henri Spaaklaan 3D, 6229 EN, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Bio Systems
|October 13, 2025
Summary
Antagonistic coinfection and mobility restrictions in spatial models significantly reduce disease spread and mortality. Combining these strategies can boost organism life expectancy by up to 54%.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Epidemiology
- Mathematical Biology
Background:
- Dual disease epidemics pose complex challenges in ecological systems.
- The rock-paper-scissors model provides a framework for studying species interactions and spatial dynamics.
- Antagonistic mortality, where coinfection reduces host mortality, is a key factor in disease dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of antagonistic coinfection and mobility restrictions on dual epidemics within a spatial rock-paper-scissors model.
- To analyze the effects of global and uneven antagonism on spatial patterns and disease transmission.
- To quantify the combined effect of these strategies on population growth, infection risk, and life expectancy.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing stochastic simulations to model disease dynamics.
- Implementing the spatial rock-paper-scissors framework with two distinct pathogens.
- Exploring scenarios of global and uneven antagonistic mortality.
- Introducing and analyzing the effects of mobility restrictions.
Main Results:
- Increased antagonism significantly reduces the spatial pattern length scale.
- Antagonism enhances species population growth and lowers infection probability for healthy individuals.
- Mobility restrictions substantially decrease infection risk and selection pressures.
- The combination of mobility restrictions and antagonistic coinfection can increase life expectancy by up to 54%.
Conclusions:
- Antagonistic coinfection and mobility restrictions are effective strategies for managing concurrent epidemics.
- These integrated approaches offer valuable insights for ecological intervention design.
- The findings highlight the potential for significant increases in organismal longevity through combined interventions.
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