Parallel discrete event simulation of Lyme disease

Our research concerns the dynamic processes underlying the rapid increase in the geographic distribution of Lyme disease, currently the most frequently reported vector-borne disease of humans in the United States [10, 1]. More specifically, we ask how spatially localized ecological interactions drive the Lyme disease epidemic at extended spatial and temporal scales. We have developed a parallel discrete event simulation system in C++ for the IBM SP2. The simulation model discussed here models the mouse-tick interaction, an essential element of the epidemic's ecology. The main entities of the simulation are ticks in various stages of development (larval, nymphal, and adult) and mice. We track the behavior of mice and the spread of disease over the course of 180 days (late spring, summer, and early fall). Our goal is to understand patterns in the Lyme disease epidemic at the regional scale through studying the spread of the pathogen across a single white-footed mouse deme.