Impact of awareness dissemination on epidemic reaction-diffusion in multiplex networks

Despite intensive studies on epidemic spreading in multiplex networks, the physical contact network is normally represented by individual contacts without considering human mobility. In this paper, a coupled epidemic-awareness-mobility model is constructed on multiplex networks, where the upper layer describes awareness dissemination via information links, while the lower layer describes epidemic spreading with recurrent mobility based on meta-population. In the information dissemination process, the role of taciturn individuals is considered. By microscopic Markov chain approach, the threshold of epidemic is derived analytically. Through extensive simulations, it is shown that the dissemination of information can significantly affect the epidemic threshold and the final recovery density. Moreover, because the hub nodes will be more likely in taciturn state, the structure of information layer can affect the stationary fraction of recovered individuals and the epidemic threshold. Finally, a hub-patch favored migration pattern will increase the final scale of epidemic spreading. Increasing the information transmission rate and decreasing the mobility rate are the optimal strategies to suppress epidemic spreading. The results can sharpen our understanding of the role of awareness dissemination and human mobility in epidemic containment.& COPY; 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This paper presents a coupled epidemic-awareness-mobility model on multiplex networks, incorporating the dissemination of awareness through information links and the spread of epidemics through human mobility. The results show that information dissemination greatly affects the epidemic threshold and the final recovery density. The study also highlights the role of hub nodes and the impact of information transmission rate and mobility rate on epidemic containment.