Infectious Disease Modeling and the Dynamics of Transmission

The dynamics of any infectious disease are heavily dependent on the rate of transmission from infectious to susceptible hosts. In many disease models, this rate is captured in a single compound parameter, the probability of transmission β. However, closer examination reveals how β can be further decomposed into a number of biologically relevant variables, including contact rates among individuals and the probability that contact events actually result in disease transmission. We start by introducing some of the basic concepts underlying the different approaches to modeling disease transmission and by laying out why a more detailed understanding of the variables involved is usually desirable. We then describe how parameter estimates of these variables can be derived from empirical data, drawing primarily from the existing literature on human diseases. Finally, we discuss how these concepts and approaches may be applied to the study of pathogen transmission in wildlife diseases. In particular, we highlight recent technical innovations that could help to overcome some the logistical challenges commonly associated with empirical disease research in wild populations.