Models for Infectious Human Diseases Their Structure and Relation to Data

Infectious disease accounts for more death and disability globally than either non-infectious disease or injury. This book contains a breadth of different quantitative approaches to understanding the patterns of such diseases in populations, and the design of control strategies to lessen their effect. The papers are written by experts who vary greatly both in terms of mathematical expertise and involvement in a wide range of applied fields across the spectrum of biological, medical and social sciences. The volume aims to increase interaction between specialities by describing research on many of the infectious diseases that affect humans, including both viral diseases, such as measles and AIDS, and tropical parasitic infections. The various sections deal with problems relating to transmissible diseases with long development times (such as AIDS); vaccination strategies; the consequences of treatment interventions; the dynamics of immunity; heterogeneity of populations; and prediction. On each topic, papers have been chosen to bring together contrasting approaches via the development of theoretical results, the use of relevant expert knowledge from applied fields and the analysis of data. The book will be a vital resource for those involved in infectious diseases, especially in regard to applications in epidemiology, public health and biology.