Epidemic models with heterogeneous mixing and indirect transmission.

ABSTRACT

We develop an age of infection model with heterogeneous mixing in which indirect pathogen transmission is considered as a good way to describe contact that is usually considered as direct and we also incorporate virus shedding as a function of age of infection. The simplest form of SIRP epidemic model is introduced and it serves as a basis for the age of infection model and a 2-patch SIRP model where the risk of infection is solely dependent on the residence times and other environmental factors. The computation of the basic reproduction number [Formula see text], the initial exponential growth rate and the final size relation is done and by mathematical analysis, we study the impact of patches connection and use the final size relation to analyse the ability of disease to invade over a short period of time.