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What actually stops dengue from spreading? Mathematical clues
Cesar Alberto Rosales-Alcantar, Marcos A. Capistrán
May 20, 2026
Researchers built a mathematical model of dengue transmission between humans and mosquitoes, including waning immunity and vertical transmission in mosquitoes. Using sensitivity analysis, they found that the human recovery rate and mosquito-to-human population ratio drive epidemic patterns far more than contact rates do. This suggests public health should focus on isolating infected patients from mosquitoes rather than broad distancing measures.
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