Coevolution of agents and networks in an epidemiological model

Abstract

We study the spreading of an infection within an SIS epidemiological model on a network. Susceptible agents are given the opportunity of breaking their links with infected agents, and reconnecting those links with the rest of the population. Thus, the network coevolves with the population as the infection progresses. We show that a moderate reconnection frequency is enough to completely suppress the infection. A partial, rather weak isolation of infected agents suffices to eliminate the endemic state.