title: Invasion threshold in heterogeneous metapopulation networks.
abstract: We study the dynamics of epidemic and reaction-diffusion processes in metapopulation models with heterogeneous connectivity patterns. In susceptible-infected-removed-like processes, along with the standard local epidemic threshold, the system exhibits a global invasion threshold. We provide an explicit expression of the threshold that sets a critical value of the diffusion/mobility rate below, which the epidemic is not able to spread to a macroscopic fraction of subpopulations. The invasion threshold is found to be affected by the topological fluctuations of the metapopulation network. The results presented provide a general framework for the understanding of the effect of travel restrictions in epidemic containment.
authors.affiliation: Complex Networks Lagrange Laboratory, Institute for Scientific Interchange, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Colizza
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vespignani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000635:transmission*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D011157:Population Dynamics; D014195:Travel