Velocity and hierarchical spread of epidemic outbreaks in scale-free networks
We study the effect of the connectivity pattern of complex networks on the propagation dynamics of epidemics. The growth time scale of outbreaks is inversely proportional to the network degree fluctuations, signaling that epidemics spread almost instantaneously in networks with scale-free degree dis...
| Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Publication Date: | 2004 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repository: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Language: | English |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/125973 |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/125973 https://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.178701 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Epidemics Epidemic outbreaks Scale-free networks Complex networks Epidèmies Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Física |
| Summary: | We study the effect of the connectivity pattern of complex networks on the propagation dynamics of epidemics. The growth time scale of outbreaks is inversely proportional to the network degree fluctuations, signaling that epidemics spread almost instantaneously in networks with scale-free degree distributions. This feature is associated with an epidemic propagation that follows a precise hierarchical dynamics. Once the highly connected hubs are reached, the infection pervades the network in a progressive cascade across smaller degree classes. The present results are relevant for the development of adaptive containment strategies. |
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