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Hauptverfasser: Zhang, Yirao, Deardon, Rob, Deeth, Lorna
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.04660
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author Zhang, Yirao
Deardon, Rob
Deeth, Lorna
author_facet Zhang, Yirao
Deardon, Rob
Deeth, Lorna
contents Individual-level models, also known as ILMs, are commonly used in epidemics modelling, as they can flexibly incorporate individual-level covariates that influence susceptibility and transmissibility upon infection. However, inference for ILMs is computationally intensive, especially as the total population size increases and additional covariates are incorporated. We propose a composite method, the composite ILM (C-ILM), that clusters the population into minimally-interfered subpopulations, with between-cluster infections enabled through a ``spark function.'' This approach allows for parallel computation of subsets before aggregation. Focusing on C-ILM, we consider four ``spark functions'', and introduce a Dirichlet process mixture modelling (DPMM) algorithm for clustering. Simulation results indicate that, in addition to faster computation, C-ILM performs well in parameter estimation and posterior predictions. Furthermore, within C-ILM framework, DPMM algorithm demonstrates superior performance compared to the conventional $K$-means algorithm. We apply the methods to data from the 2001 UK foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. The results provide evidence that C-ILM is not only computationally efficient but also achieves a better model fit compared to the basic spatial ILM.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_04660
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Composite method for fast computation of individual level spatial epidemic models
Zhang, Yirao
Deardon, Rob
Deeth, Lorna
Methodology
Individual-level models, also known as ILMs, are commonly used in epidemics modelling, as they can flexibly incorporate individual-level covariates that influence susceptibility and transmissibility upon infection. However, inference for ILMs is computationally intensive, especially as the total population size increases and additional covariates are incorporated. We propose a composite method, the composite ILM (C-ILM), that clusters the population into minimally-interfered subpopulations, with between-cluster infections enabled through a ``spark function.'' This approach allows for parallel computation of subsets before aggregation. Focusing on C-ILM, we consider four ``spark functions'', and introduce a Dirichlet process mixture modelling (DPMM) algorithm for clustering. Simulation results indicate that, in addition to faster computation, C-ILM performs well in parameter estimation and posterior predictions. Furthermore, within C-ILM framework, DPMM algorithm demonstrates superior performance compared to the conventional $K$-means algorithm. We apply the methods to data from the 2001 UK foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. The results provide evidence that C-ILM is not only computationally efficient but also achieves a better model fit compared to the basic spatial ILM.
title Composite method for fast computation of individual level spatial epidemic models
topic Methodology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.04660