A Network-based Simulation Architecture for Studying Epidemic Dynamics

Abstract

Epidemiology instructors are collaborating with computer scientists to construct network-based simulations to recreate infectious disease transmission dynamics and to examine intervention strategy efficacies. Here we propose an architecture based on demographic and geographic properties to support the learning efforts of undergraduate students and novice researchers, and describe our simulations of HIV, SARS, and influenza transmission dynamics in Taiwan. Our findings are offered to support the construction of new network-based epidemic simulations.