Network size, structure, and pathogen transmission: a simulation study comparing different community detection algorithms

Abstract Social substructure can influence pathogen transmission. Modularity measures the degree of social contact within versus between “communities” in a network, with increasing modularity expected to reduce transmission opportunities. We investigated how social substructure scales with network s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behaviour 2018, Vol.155 (7-9), p.639-670
Main Authors: Sumner, Kelsey M, McCabe, Collin M, Nunn, Charles L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Cohesion
Communities
Computer simulation
Disease transmission
Epidemiology
Health risks
Modularity
Networks
Pathogens
Social organization
Subgroups
Substructures
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Summary:Abstract Social substructure can influence pathogen transmission. Modularity measures the degree of social contact within versus between “communities” in a network, with increasing modularity expected to reduce transmission opportunities. We investigated how social substructure scales with network size and disease transmission. Using small-scale primate social networks, we applied seven community detection algorithms to calculate modularity and subgroup cohesion, defined as individuals’ interactions within subgroups proportional to the network. We found larger networks were more modular with higher subgroup cohesion, but the association’s strength varied by community detection algorithm and substructure measure. These findings highlight the importance of choosing an appropriate community detection algorithm for the question of interest, and if not possible, using multiple algorithms. Disease transmission simulations revealed higher modularity and subgroup cohesion resulted in fewer infections, confirming that social substructure has epidemiological consequences. Increased subdivision in larger networks could reflect constrained time budgets or evolved defences against disease risk.
ISSN:0005-7959
1568-539X
DOI:10.1163/1568539X-00003508