Effects of community structure on epidemic spread in an adaptive network

TL;DR

This paper investigates how community structures in adaptive social networks influence epidemic spread, using a susceptible-infected-susceptible model with link rewiring, revealing that epidemics can modify community configurations.

Contribution

It introduces a mean field model for epidemic spread on adaptive networks with community structure, accurately predicting steady states and showing how epidemics can alter community organization.

Findings

Epidemic dynamics depend on community structure and adaptive rewiring.

The mean field model accurately predicts steady states.

Epidemics can change the underlying community structure.

Abstract

When an epidemic spreads in a population, individuals may adaptively change the structure of their social contact network to reduce risk of infection. Here we study the spread of an epidemic on an adaptive network with community structure. We model the effect of two communities with different average degrees. The disease model is susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS), and adaptation is rewiring of links between susceptibles and infectives. The bifurcation structure is obtained, and a mean field model is developed that accurately predicts the steady state behavior of the system. We show that an epidemic can alter the community structure.