Abstract

Research into the dynamics of interacting elements has been completely transformed by the science of networks. One may argue that more than any other field, epidemiology has embraced the possibilities of network theory. Here, we discuss the growing body of research on how infectious diseases spread on networks with an emphasis on how network theory and epidemiology interact. The review is divided into four main sections that look at different types of networks that are relevant to epidemiology, various ways to characterise these networks, statistical methods. It is impossible to do a thorough analysis of all the work because of the variety of topics covered and the growing quantity of publications. Instead, we offer a tailored review of the network epidemiology subfields that have advanced the most recently or have the most potential to offer new insights. As a result, analytical techniques and statistical methods—two fast developing fields—are given a lot of weight. In this review, epidemiological concerns are the only ones we focus on.