Spatial Landscape Structure Influences Cross-Species Transmission in a Rabies-like Virus Model
In this study, we simulated biologically realistic agent-based models over neutral landscapes to examine how spatial structure affects the spread of a rabies-like virus in a two-species system. We built landscapes with varying autocorrelation levels and simulated disease dynamics using different tra...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/2/416 |
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| author | Norma Rocio Forero-Muñoz Gabriel Dansereau Francois Viard Emily Acheson Patrick Leighton Timothée Poisot |
| author_facet | Norma Rocio Forero-Muñoz Gabriel Dansereau Francois Viard Emily Acheson Patrick Leighton Timothée Poisot |
| author_sort | Norma Rocio Forero-Muñoz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this study, we simulated biologically realistic agent-based models over neutral landscapes to examine how spatial structure affects the spread of a rabies-like virus in a two-species system. We built landscapes with varying autocorrelation levels and simulated disease dynamics using different transmission rates for intra- and interspecies spread. The results were analysed based on combinations of spatial landscape structures and transmission rates, focusing on the median number of new reservoir and spillover cases. We found that both spatial landscape structures and viral transmission rates are key factors in determining the number of infected simulated agents and the epidemiological week when the highest number of cases occurs. While isolated habitat patches with elevated carrying capacity pose significant risks for viral transmission, they may also slow the spread compared to more connected patches, depending on the modelled scenario. This study highlights the importance of spatial landscape structure and viral transmission rates in cross-species spread. Our findings have implications for disease control strategies and suggest that future research should also focus on how landscape factors interact with pathogen dynamics, especially in those locations where susceptible agents could be more in contact with pathogens with high transmission rates. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-700f76ff27c84508949ec46c04ebcab8 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj-art-700f76ff27c84508949ec46c04ebcab82025-08-20T03:11:22ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-02-0113241610.3390/microorganisms13020416Spatial Landscape Structure Influences Cross-Species Transmission in a Rabies-like Virus ModelNorma Rocio Forero-Muñoz0Gabriel Dansereau1Francois Viard2Emily Acheson3Patrick Leighton4Timothée Poisot5Département de Sciences Biologiques, Faculté des Arts et des Sciences, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2V 0B3, CanadaDépartement de Sciences Biologiques, Faculté des Arts et des Sciences, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2V 0B3, CanadaDépartement de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC J2S 8H5, CanadaGroupe de Recherche en Épidémiologie des Zoonoses et Santé Publique (GREZOSP), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC J2S 8H5, CanadaDépartement de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC J2S 8H5, CanadaDépartement de Sciences Biologiques, Faculté des Arts et des Sciences, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2V 0B3, CanadaIn this study, we simulated biologically realistic agent-based models over neutral landscapes to examine how spatial structure affects the spread of a rabies-like virus in a two-species system. We built landscapes with varying autocorrelation levels and simulated disease dynamics using different transmission rates for intra- and interspecies spread. The results were analysed based on combinations of spatial landscape structures and transmission rates, focusing on the median number of new reservoir and spillover cases. We found that both spatial landscape structures and viral transmission rates are key factors in determining the number of infected simulated agents and the epidemiological week when the highest number of cases occurs. While isolated habitat patches with elevated carrying capacity pose significant risks for viral transmission, they may also slow the spread compared to more connected patches, depending on the modelled scenario. This study highlights the importance of spatial landscape structure and viral transmission rates in cross-species spread. Our findings have implications for disease control strategies and suggest that future research should also focus on how landscape factors interact with pathogen dynamics, especially in those locations where susceptible agents could be more in contact with pathogens with high transmission rates.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/2/416neutral landscapesagent-based modelscross-species transmissionrabies |
| spellingShingle | Norma Rocio Forero-Muñoz Gabriel Dansereau Francois Viard Emily Acheson Patrick Leighton Timothée Poisot Spatial Landscape Structure Influences Cross-Species Transmission in a Rabies-like Virus Model Microorganisms neutral landscapes agent-based models cross-species transmission rabies |
| title | Spatial Landscape Structure Influences Cross-Species Transmission in a Rabies-like Virus Model |
| title_full | Spatial Landscape Structure Influences Cross-Species Transmission in a Rabies-like Virus Model |
| title_fullStr | Spatial Landscape Structure Influences Cross-Species Transmission in a Rabies-like Virus Model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial Landscape Structure Influences Cross-Species Transmission in a Rabies-like Virus Model |
| title_short | Spatial Landscape Structure Influences Cross-Species Transmission in a Rabies-like Virus Model |
| title_sort | spatial landscape structure influences cross species transmission in a rabies like virus model |
| topic | neutral landscapes agent-based models cross-species transmission rabies |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/2/416 |
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