The estimation of the basic reproduction number for infectious diseases. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1994. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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The estimation of the basic reproduction number for infectious diseases.

Stat Methods Med Res. 1993;2(1):23-41. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/94084471
Dietz K; Department of Medical Biometry, University of Tubingen, Germany.

Abstract: The basic reproduction number R0 is the number of secondary cases which one case would produce in a completely susceptible population. It depends on the duration of the infectious period, the probability of infecting a susceptible individual during one contact, and the number of new susceptible individuals contacted per unit of time. Therefore R0 may vary considerably for different infectious diseases but also for the same disease in different populations. The key threshold result of epidemic theory associates the outbreaks of epidemics and the persistence of endemic levels with basic reproduction numbers greater than one. Because the magnitude of R0 allows one to determine the amount of effort which is necessary either to prevent an epidemic or to eliminate an infection from a population, it is crucial to estimate R0 for a given disease in a particular population. The present paper gives a survey about the various estimation methods available.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/PREVENTION & CONTROL/ TRANSMISSION Adolescence Adult Communicable Disease Control/METHODS Communicable Diseases/DRUG THERAPY/EPIDEMIOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY/ *TRANSMISSION Demography Disease Outbreaks/*PREVENTION & CONTROL Female Human Male Middle Age *Models, Biological *Models, Statistical Prevalence Probability Reproduction Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Vaccination JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW REVIEW, ACADEMICKWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/prevention&control/transmissionadolescenceadultcommunicablediseasecontrol/methodscommunicablediseases/drugtherapy/epidemiology/microbiology/KWDtransmissiondemographydiseaseoutbreaks/KWDprevention&controlfemalehumanmalemiddleageKWDmodels,biologicalKWDmodels,statisticalprevalenceprobabilityreproductionsupport,uKWDsKWDgov't,pKWDhKWDsKWDvaccinationjournalarticlereviewreview,academic
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M9430406

Copyright © 1994 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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