Patterns, Nonlinear Dynamics and Applications - PANDA

Gabriela Gomes

Pattern formation in populations of antigenically diverse pathogens

Abstract:

Most pathogens exhibit antigenic diversity and pathogen population dynamics is driven by competition for the susceptible host resource. We describe a mathematical model where pathogen population structure emerges as three possible patterns: incidence of infection is steady and homogeneous; incidence is steady but heterogeneous; or incidence shows travelling waves crossing the spectrum of antigenic diversity. We identify the structure of strain-space and the mechanism of cumulative immunity as crucial features requiring further empirical and theoretical research.