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...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Barthelemy, M, Barrat, A, Pastor Satorras, Romualdo|||0000-0002-4051-6007, Vespignani, Alessandro
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2004
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/125973
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/125973
https://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.178701
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Epidemics
Epidemic outbreaks
Scale-free networks
Complex networks
Epidèmies
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Física
Descripción
Sumario: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.