IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pntd00/0006624.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The effect of assortative mixing on stability of low helminth transmission levels and on the impact of mass drug administration: Model explorations for onchocerciasis

Author

Listed:
  • Anneke S de Vos
  • Wilma A Stolk
  • Sake J de Vlas
  • Luc E Coffeng

Abstract

Background: Stable low pre-control prevalences of helminth infection are not uncommon in field settings, yet it is poorly understood how such low levels can be sustained, thereby challenging efforts to model them. Disentangling possible facilitating mechanisms is important, since these may differently affect intervention impact. Here we explore the role of assortative (i.e. non-homogenous) mixing and exposure heterogeneity in helminth transmission, using onchocerciasis as an example. Methodology/Principal findings: We extended the established individual-based model ONCHOSIM to allow for assortative mixing, assuming that individuals who are relatively more exposed to fly bites are more connected to each other than other individuals in the population as a result of differential exposure to a sub-population of blackflies. We used the model to investigate how transmission stability, equilibrium microfilarial (mf) prevalence and intensity, and impact of mass drug administration depend on the assumed degree of assortative mixing and exposure heterogeneity, for a typical rural population of about 400 individuals. The model clearly demonstrated that with homogeneous mixing and moderate levels of exposure heterogeneity, onchocerciasis could not be sustained below 35% mf prevalence. In contrast, assortative mixing stabilised onchocerciasis prevalence at levels as low as 8% mf prevalence. Increasing levels of assortative mixing significantly reduced the probability of interrupting transmission, given the same duration and coverage of mass drug administration. Conclusions/Significance: Assortative mixing patterns are an important factor to explain stable low prevalence situations and are highly relevant for prospects of elimination. Their effect on the pre-control distribution of mf intensities in human populations is only detectable in settings with mf prevalences

Suggested Citation

  • Anneke S de Vos & Wilma A Stolk & Sake J de Vlas & Luc E Coffeng, 2018. "The effect of assortative mixing on stability of low helminth transmission levels and on the impact of mass drug administration: Model explorations for onchocerciasis," PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-15, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pntd00:0006624
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006624
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0006624
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0006624&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006624?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ganna Rozhnova & Maarten F Schim van der Loeff & Janneke C M Heijne & Mirjam E Kretzschmar, 2016. "Impact of Heterogeneity in Sexual Behavior on Effectiveness in Reducing HIV Transmission with Test-and-Treat Strategy," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(8), pages 1-20, August.
    2. Simon J O’Hanlon & Hannah C Slater & Robert A Cheke & Boakye A Boatin & Luc E Coffeng & Sébastien D S Pion & Michel Boussinesq & Honorat G M Zouré & Wilma A Stolk & María-Gloria Basáñez, 2016. "Model-Based Geostatistical Mapping of the Prevalence of Onchocerca volvulus in West Africa," PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(1), pages 1-36, January.
    3. Joël Mossong & Niel Hens & Mark Jit & Philippe Beutels & Kari Auranen & Rafael Mikolajczyk & Marco Massari & Stefania Salmaso & Gianpaolo Scalia Tomba & Jacco Wallinga & Janneke Heijne & Malgorzata Sa, 2008. "Social Contacts and Mixing Patterns Relevant to the Spread of Infectious Diseases," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(3), pages 1-1, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ichino, Andrea & Favero, Carlo A. & Rustichini, Aldo, 2020. "Restarting the economy while saving lives under Covid-19," CEPR Discussion Papers 14664, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. M. Hashem Pesaran & Cynthia Fan Yang, 2022. "Matching theory and evidence on Covid‐19 using a stochastic network SIR model," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(6), pages 1204-1229, September.
    3. Wei Zhong, 2017. "Simulating influenza pandemic dynamics with public risk communication and individual responsive behavior," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 475-495, December.
    4. Houštecká, Anna & Koh, Dongya & Santaeulàlia-Llopis, Raül, 2021. "Contagion at work: Occupations, industries and human contact," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    5. Yang-chih Fu & Da-Wei Wang & Jen-Hsiang Chuang, 2012. "Representative Contact Diaries for Modeling the Spread of Infectious Diseases in Taiwan," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(10), pages 1-7, October.
    6. Kuchler, Theresa & Russel, Dominic & Stroebel, Johannes, 2022. "JUE Insight: The geographic spread of COVID-19 correlates with the structure of social networks as measured by Facebook," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    7. John M Drake & Tobias S Brett & Shiyang Chen & Bogdan I Epureanu & Matthew J Ferrari & Éric Marty & Paige B Miller & Eamon B O’Dea & Suzanne M O’Regan & Andrew W Park & Pejman Rohani, 2019. "The statistics of epidemic transitions," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(5), pages 1-14, May.
    8. S. M. Niaz Arifin & Christoph Zimmer & Caroline Trotter & Anaïs Colombini & Fati Sidikou & F. Marc LaForce & Ted Cohen & Reza Yaesoubi, 2019. "Cost-Effectiveness of Alternative Uses of Polyvalent Meningococcal Vaccines in Niger: An Agent-Based Transmission Modeling Study," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 39(5), pages 553-567, July.
    9. Bisin, Alberto & Moro, Andrea, 2022. "Spatial‐SIR with network structure and behavior: Lockdown rules and the Lucas critique," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 370-388.
    10. Mirjam Kretzschmar & Rafael T Mikolajczyk, 2009. "Contact Profiles in Eight European Countries and Implications for Modelling the Spread of Airborne Infectious Diseases," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(6), pages 1-8, June.
    11. Andrei I. Vlad & Alexei A. Romanyukha & Tatiana E. Sannikova, 2024. "Parameter Tuning of Agent-Based Models: Metaheuristic Algorithms," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-21, July.
    12. Elisabetta De Cao & Alessia Melegaro & Rogier Klok & Maarten Postma, 2014. "Optimising Assessments of the Epidemiological Impact in the Netherlands of Paediatric Immunisation with 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Using Dynamic Transmission Modelling," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(4), pages 1-9, April.
    13. Gillis, Melissa & Urban, Ryley & Saif, Ahmed & Kamal, Noreen & Murphy, Matthew, 2021. "A simulation–optimization framework for optimizing response strategies to epidemics," Operations Research Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 8(C).
    14. Richard Pitman & David Fisman & Gregory S. Zaric & Maarten Postma & Mirjam Kretzschmar & John Edmunds & Marc Brisson, 2012. "Dynamic Transmission Modeling," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 32(5), pages 712-721, September.
    15. Wiriya Mahikul & Somkid Kripattanapong & Piya Hanvoravongchai & Aronrag Meeyai & Sopon Iamsirithaworn & Prasert Auewarakul & Wirichada Pan-ngum, 2020. "Contact Mixing Patterns and Population Movement among Migrant Workers in an Urban Setting in Thailand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-11, March.
    16. Valentina Marziano & Giorgio Guzzetta & Alessia Mammone & Flavia Riccardo & Piero Poletti & Filippo Trentini & Mattia Manica & Andrea Siddu & Antonino Bella & Paola Stefanelli & Patrizio Pezzotti & Ma, 2021. "The effect of COVID-19 vaccination in Italy and perspectives for living with the virus," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    17. Fatima-Zahra Jaouimaa & Daniel Dempsey & Suzanne Van Osch & Stephen Kinsella & Kevin Burke & Jason Wyse & James Sweeney, 2021. "An age-structured SEIR model for COVID-19 incidence in Dublin, Ireland with framework for evaluating health intervention cost," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(12), pages 1-25, December.
    18. Nikolaos P. Rachaniotis & Thomas K. Dasaklis & Filippos Fotopoulos & Platon Tinios, 2021. "A Two-Phase Stochastic Dynamic Model for COVID-19 Mid-Term Policy Recommendations in Greece: A Pathway towards Mass Vaccination," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-21, March.
    19. Hammoumi, Aayah & Qesmi, Redouane, 2020. "Impact assessment of containment measure against COVID-19 spread in Morocco," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    20. Thomas Ash & Antonio M. Bento & Daniel Kaffine & Akhil Rao & Ana I. Bento, 2022. "Disease-economy trade-offs under alternative epidemic control strategies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pntd00:0006624. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosntds (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.