Intensity and frequency of extreme novel epidemics

Bibliographic Data

ID23324992
AuthorsM Marani (0000-0002-1493-6913, University of Padua, corresponding author), Gabriel G Katul (0000-0001-9768-3693, Duke University), William Pan (0000-0002-7407-7399, Duke University), Anthony J Parolari (0000-0002-1046-6790, Marquette University)
Year2021
Volume118
Issue35
Publication date2021-08-31
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0027-8424 • E-ISSN: 1091-6490
PublisherNational Academy of Sciences (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1073/pnas.2105482118
PMID34426498
OpenAlexW3194634981
LanguageEN
Citations received98
References cited19

Observational knowledge of the epidemic intensity, defined as the number of deaths divided by global population and epidemic duration, and of the rate of emergence of infectious disease outbreaks is necessary to test theory and models and to inform public health risk assessment by quantifying the probability of extreme pandemics such as COVID-19. Despite its significance, assembling and analyzing a comprehensive global historical record spanning a variety of diseases remains an unexplored task. A global dataset of historical epidemics from 1600 to present is here compiled and examined using novel statistical methods to estimate the yearly probability of occurrence of extreme epidemics. Historical observations covering four orders of magnitude of epidemic intensity follow a common probability distribution with a slowly decaying power-law tail (generalized Pareto distribution, asymptotic exponent = −0.71). The yearly number of epidemics varies ninefold and shows systematic trends. Yearly occurrence probabilities of extreme epidemics, P y , vary widely: P y of an event with the intensity of the “Spanish influenza” (1918 to 1920) varies between 0.11 and 0.89% from 1600 to present, while its mean recurrence time today is 879 y (95% CI: 730 to 1081 y). The slow decay of probability with epidemic intensity implies that extreme epidemics are relatively likely, a property previously undetected due to short observational records and stationary analysis methods. Using recent estimates of the rate of increase in disease emergence from zoonotic reservoirs associated with environmental change, we estimate that the yearly probability of occurrence of extreme epidemics can increase up to threefold in the coming decades.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Disease · Geography · Infectious disease (medical specialty) · Outbreak · Pandemic · Population · Statistics · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · Demography · Mathematics · Medicine · Viral Infections and Vectors · Zoonotic diseases and public health