Agent-based modeling and simulation: ABMS examples
Proceedings of the 40th Conference on Winter Simulation
A framework for modeling mosquito vectors
Proceedings of the 2010 Summer Computer Simulation Conference
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There are multiple agent-based simulations investigating population and behavior dynamics of mosquito vectors. Some of these simulations model intervention pressures on the mosquito population to predict the impact of vector control strategies. These are complex models that can accurately characterize mosquitoes and simulate the effects of various interventions. One class of intervention methods involves the injection of altered genotypes into the vector population. The gene interrupts development and is inherited through the paternal line. Simulating these interventions requires an entomological model to be genetically-aware. We extend an existing model to capture genetic and heredity dynamics in a vector population. We show that it is possible to model heredity and simulate the effects of these intricate interventions through agent-based modeling. As a proof-of-concept, we simulate a method for insect control known as sterile insect technique (SIT). With our simulation, we show that introducing a female-specific lethal gene within the mosquito population greatly reduces the mosquito vector's ability to transmit malaria.