Contrasting and comparing the efficacy of mobility-targeted interventions on airborne and vector-borne diseases
Bibandhan Poudyal, David Soriano Paños, Gourab Ghoshal
Communications Physics (2025)
Can a policy that helps curb COVID-19 make things worse for dengue?
In this study, we develop a unified framework to evaluate the differential impact of mobility-targeted interventions—such as rerouting commuters or restricting flows—on airborne and vector-borne disease transmission. Using real-world mobility and entomological data from Cali, Colombia, we demonstrate that interventions designed to reduce the spread of airborne diseases can unintentionally increase vulnerability to mosquito-borne pathogens like dengue.
To explain this epidemiological tradeoff, we introduce a coarse-grained metapopulation model that captures the essential dynamics of both transmission mechanisms. We then derive strategies that jointly mitigate both risks—offering practical insights for urban public health policy.
This work provides a generalizable toolkit for cities facing co-circulating pathogens and highlights the importance of tailoring interventions to the transmission ecology of each disease.
🔗 Read the full article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42005-025-02167-1