Table 1.
Description of network and node level metrics.
| Metric | Description | Epidemiological importance |
|---|---|---|
| NETWORK-LEVEL METRICS | ||
| Size | Number of cattle markets (nodes) that make up the network. It enables comparison of the Uganda cattle market with other markets' random graphs. | Larger networks may have more subgroups that act as disease transmission bottlenecks within the group |
| Density | Degree of contact between pairs of cattle markets in the network | Disease transmission may occur faster in high-density networks |
| Eigenvector centralization | Measures the level of influence of a cattle market (node) within a network after assigning each a score. | Disease transmission occurs rapidly in networks with high eigenvector centralization |
| Modularity | Involves partitioning of the cattle network into well-connected subgroups | Disease transmission is slowed downed by the presence of subgroups |
| Clustering coefficient | Is the ratio of the number of edges (i.e., links) that occur between a cattle market's (i.e., node's) immediate neighbors and the maximum number of edges that could exist between them | High clustering may increase the frequency of disease spread |
| NODE-LEVEL METRICS | ||
| Degree centrality | The number of edges (links) a cattle market (node) has. | Indicates whether a cattle market can be a source of infection (high out-degree centrality) or receive most of the infection from other cattle markets (high in-degree centrality) |
| Degree betweenness | Measures the extent to which a cattle market (node) lies on the paths between other cattle markets | Measures how frequently a given cattle market (node) can act as a bridge between other cattle markets (nodes) in the network. The higher the degree betweenness, the higher the potential of a cattle market to transmit the infection from a source cattle market |
| K-core | The k-core of a graph is the maximal subgraph made of nodes with degree k or more. | Can identify superspreaders or groups within a network which are vulnerable to a disease |
| KEY ACTORS | ||
| Articulation point | Is a cattle market (node) whose removal disconnects the network | Can be targeted for disease control to enhance the resilience of the network |