Mathematical models of < i > Plasmodium vivax < /i > transmission: A scoping review

by Md Nurul Anwar, Lauren Smith, Angela Devine, Somya Mehra, Camelia R. Walker, Elizabeth Ivory, Eamon Conway, Ivo Mueller, James M. McCaw, Jennifer A. Flegg, Roslyn I. HicksonPlasmodium vivax is one of the most geographically widespread malaria parasites in the world, primarily found across South-East Asia, Latin America, and parts of Africa. One of the significant characteristics of theP. vivax parasite is its ability to remain dormant in the human liver as hypnozoites and subsequently reactivate after the initial infection (i.e. relapse infections). Mathematical modelling approaches have been widely applied to understandP. vivax dynamics and predict the impact of intervention outcomes. Models that captureP. vivax dynamics differ from those that captureP. falciparum dynamics, as they must account for relapses caused by the activation of hypnozoites. In this article, we provide a scoping review of mathematical models that captureP. vivax transmission dynamics published between January 1988 and May 2023. The primary objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive summary of the mathematical models and techniques used to modelP. vivax dynamics. In doing so, we aim to assist researchers working on mathematical epidemiology, disease transmission, and other aspects ofP. vivax malaria by highlighting best practices in currently published models and highlighting where further model development is required. We categoriseP. vivax models according to whether a deterministic or ag...
Source: PLoS Computational Biology - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: research