Malaria+Epidemic

Malaria Epidemics
In areas at risk of malaria, incidence of the disease during a given transmission season is highest when conditions for transmission are optimal. During years of favorable rains, the likelihood of an epidemic increases as more breeding sites become available for mosquitoes. Epidemics can also be triggered when populations with low immunity are faced with increased transmission (such as when populations encroach into unpopulated ecosystems and enter areas of higher transmission).

In the MV Sim, the prevalence of malaria in the village is determined by the ratios of infected to susceptible populations, the overall health of the village population, and whether there is a clinic in the village which allows for faster recovery of the infected. The infection rate varies with precipitation, since rains can trigger an epidemic, and the number of bednets in the village.