TY  - JOUR
AB  - Contact tracing is an effective method to control emerging infectious diseases. Since the 1980's, modellers are developing a consistent theory for contact tracing, with the aim to find effective and efficient implementations, and to assess the effects of contact tracing on the spread of an infectious disease. Despite the progress made in the area, there remain important open questions. In addition, technological developments, especially in the field of molecular biology (genetic sequencing of pathogens) and modern communication (digital contact tracing), have posed new challenges for the modelling community. In the present paper, we discuss modelling approaches for contact tracing and identify some of the current challenges for the field.
AU  - Müller, J.
AU  - Kretzschmar, M.*
C1  - 61009
C2  - 49730
SP  - 222-231
TI  - Contact tracing – Old models and new challenges.
JO  - Infect. Dis. Model.
VL  - 6
PY  - 2021
SN  - 2468-2152
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Pediculus humanus capitis are human ectoparasites which cause infestations, mostly in children, worldwide. Understanding the life cycle of head lice is an important step in knowing how to treat lice infestations, as the parasite behavior depends considerably on its age and gender. In this work we propose a mathematical model for head lice population dynamics in hosts who could be or not quarantined and treated. Considering a lice population structured by age and gender we formulate the model as a system of hyperbolic PDEs, which can be reduced to compartmental systems of delay or ordinary differential equations. Besides studying fundamental properties of the model, such as existence, uniqueness and nonnegativity of solutions, we show the existence of (in certain cases multiple) equilibria at which the infestation persists on the host's head. Aiming to assess the performance of treatments against head lice infestations, by mean of computer experiments and numerical simulations we investigate four possible treatment strategies. Our main results can be summarized as follows: (i) early detection is crucial for quick and efficient eradication of lice infestations; (ii) dimeticone-based products applied every 4 days effectively remove lice in at most three applications even in case of severe infestations and (iii) minimization of the reinfection risk, e.g. by mean of synchronized treatments in families/classrooms is recommended.
AU  - Castelletti, N.
AU  - Barbarossa, M.V.*
C1  - 59680
C2  - 48977
SP  - 386-404
TI  - Deterministic approaches for head lice infestations and treatments.
JO  - Infect. Dis. Model.
VL  - 5
PY  - 2020
SN  - 2468-2152
ER  -