Effects of local and global network connectivity on synergistic epidemics

TL;DR

This study investigates how local and global network connectivity influence the spread of synergistic epidemics, revealing that rewiring can either hinder or promote epidemic spread depending on synergy strength and network structure.

Contribution

The paper provides a combined numerical and analytical analysis of how network rewiring affects epidemic resilience and spread in synergistic epidemic models.

Findings

Rewiring increases resilience to strong-synergy epidemics in highly connected networks.

Rewiring promotes epidemic spread with weak or destructive synergy across various networks.

Rewiring facilitates epidemic spread regardless of synergy in networks with low local connectivity.

Abstract

The effects of local and global connectivity on the spread of synergistic susceptible-infected-removed epidemics were studied in lattice models with infinite- and finite-range rewiring (small-world and small-world-like models). Several effects were found numerically and supported analytically within a simple model: (i) rewiring enhanced resilience to epidemics with strong constructive synergy on networks with high local connectivity; (ii) rewiring enhanced spread of epidemics with destructive or weak constructive synergy on networks with arbitrary local connectivity; (iii) rewiring enhanced spread of epidemics, independent of synergy, in networks with low local connectivity.