Vertically Transmitted Diseases

Infectious diseases are transmitted through variousdifferent mechanisms including person to personinteractions, by insect vectors and via verticaltransmission from a parent to an unborn offspring. Thepopulation dynamics of such disease transmission can be verycomplicated and the development of rational strategies forcontrolling and preventing the spread of these diseasesrequires careful modeling and analysis. The book describes current methods for formulating modelsand analyzing the dynamics of the propagation of diseaseswhich include vertical transmission as one of the mechanismsfor their spread. Generic models that describe broad classesof diseases as well as models that are tailored to thedynamics of a specific infection are formulated andanalyzed. The effects of incubation periods, maturationdelays, and age-structure, interactions between diseasetransmission and demographic changes, population crowding,spatial spread, chaotic dynamic behavior, seasonalperiodicities and discrete time interval events are studiedwithin the context of specific disease transmission models. No previous background in disease transmission modeling andanalysis is assumedand the required biological concepts andmathematical methods are gradually introduced within thecontext of specific disease transmission models. Graphs arewidely used to illustrate and explain the modelingassumptions and results. REMARKS: NOTE: the authors have supplied variants on thepromotion text that are more suitable for promotionindifferent fields (by virtue of different emphasis in thecontent). They are not enclosed, but in the mathematicseditorial.