Integrating phylodynamics and epidemiology to estimate transmission diversity in viral epidemics.

ABSTRACT: The epidemiology of chronic viral infections, such as those caused by Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), is affected by the risk group structure of the infected population. Risk groups are defined by each of their members having acquired infection through a specific behavior. However, risk group definitions say little about the transmission potential of each infected individual. Variation in the number of secondary infections is extremely difficult to estimate for HCV and HIV but crucial in the design of efficient control interventions. Here we describe a novel method that combines epidemiological and population genetic approaches to estimate the variation in transmissibility of rapidly-evolving viral epidemics. We evaluate this method using a nationwide HCV ep

SUBMITTER: Magiorkinis G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3561042 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature