Table 1.
Summary of feature comparisons from several malaria models, including new features modelled by this study
|
Model feature |
Malaria models |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gu &Novak[10,11] | Yakob &Yan[2] | Eckhoff[12] | Chitnis et al.[8] | This study | |
| Model type |
agent-based |
mathematical |
individual-based |
mathematical |
agent-based |
| Spatial representation |
landscape-based |
N/A |
space can be represented as a lattice of points |
N/A |
landscape-based |
| Automation of landscape generation (e.g., using separate tools) * |
no |
N/A |
no |
N/A |
yes (VectorLand) |
| Boundary type of landscape * |
absorbing |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
non-absorbing |
| Average of multiple simulations * |
no |
no |
no |
no |
yes |
| Time-step resolution |
daily |
daily |
hourly |
daily |
hourly |
| Age-specific mortality |
no |
no |
N/A |
no |
yes (see [19,21]) |
| Daily mortality rate (immature stages) |
fixed, 0.2 |
fixed, 0.15 |
temperature-dependent |
N/A |
age-specific (for larvae) |
| Daily mortality rate (adult stages) |
fixed, 0.2 |
fixed, 0.15 |
adult life expectancy of 10 days |
N/A |
age-specific |
| Fecundity (eggs/oviposition) |
fixed, 80 |
N/A |
fixed, 100 |
N/A |
N (170, 30) |
| Variability in daily temperature |
no |
no |
yes |
yes |
yes (25°C) |
| Length of individual simulation run |
200 days for LSM, 300 days for ITNs |
N/A |
> 6 years |
N/A |
1 year |
| Interventions modelled |
LSM, ITNs |
LSM, ITNs |
IRS, ITNs, larvicides, space spraying |
ITNs, IRS |
LSM, ITNs |
| Time-step of intervention application |
day 100 for LSM, day 150 for ITNs |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
day 100 |
| Explores combined interventions |
no |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Variability in human population |
no |
yes |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Coverage scheme used for ITNs * |
proportion of house-holds with bed nets |
proportion of populations sleeping under bed nets |
proportion of populations sleeping under bed nets |
proportion of populations sleeping under bed nets |
partial and complete coverage (see Methods) |
| Comparison of coverage schemes for ITNs * | no | no | no | no | yes |
Each row represents a specific model feature. Each column represents a specific malaria model. Features marked with * are either modelled with extensions, or may be treated as new (not modelled earlier by other studies). Text in the cells represent whether the feature is implemented/available in the model, including simple yes/no, or other comments. N/A means not applicable or not available. Time-step resolution indicates the most fine-grained time resolution (for example, models reported as hourly are also capable of reporting events on a daily basis). For some features, whether the model implements variability of the feature is stated (e.g., variability in daily temperature), and the default value used in the model is noted in parentheses. For fecundity, N indicates a normal distribution with mean and standard deviation. Daily mortality and age-dependent mortality refer to mortality of mosquitoes.