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The following is a summary of “Agent-based modelling of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission: a systematic review,” published in the December 2024 issue of Infectious Disease by Bui et al.
Traditional epidemiological models often oversimplify Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) transmission, driving interest in advanced methods like agent-based modelling (ABM) to better capture the complexity of tuberculosis (TB) transmission dynamics.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the use of ABMs in modeling the heterogeneity of M.tb transmission and to identify the challenges and opportunities in the implementation.
They performed a systematic search following PRISMA guidelines across 4 databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, and Scopus), including peer-reviewed articles in English published up to December 2022, 2 investigators extracted data using a standardized tool. The review focused on studies that used ABM, individual-based, or microsimulation models of M.tb transmission, excluding those centered on in-vitro or within-host dynamics. Data extraction focused on the methodological, epidemiological, and computational aspects of ABMs for TB transmission. No risk of bias assessment was done, as the review synthesized modeling studies without pooling epidemiological data.
The results showed 5,077 studies were initially identified, of which 26 met the inclusion criteria after exclusions. These studies varied in population settings, time horizons, and model complexity. While many included population heterogeneity and household structures, some lacked critical elements such as spatial structures or economic evaluations. Only 8 studies (31%) provided publicly accessible code, emphasizing the need for greater transparency in the area.
Investigators concluded that the ABMs offered a powerful tool for modeling complex disease dynamics like TB, addressing challenges like stochasticity, parameter tuning, and computational cost as an important tool for the reliable application.
Source: bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-10245-y
