Stochastic Models for HIV Transmission as a Vector-Host Disease
Rachel Martin
Carleton College
Margaret Sauer
Carleton College
Evan Olawsky
Carleton College
Michelle Marinello
Carleton College
Abstract
HIV remains a serious health concern within the United States. Here we extend existing stochastic models for the spread of HIV, with an emphasis on treatment strategies for prison populations. Our model explicitly accounts for intravenous drug use by treating HIV as a vector-host disease, in which shared needles act as disease-transmitting vectors, much like mosquitoes act in the transmission of malaria. Results in simulation suggest that needle exchange programs can be an effective way of reducing overall HIV infection rates.
