A stochastic simulation model of epidemics of arthropod-vectored plant viruses

A generalized theoretical model was developed of the spread of a virus from a single source plant in a small field. Input parameters include probabilities of virus acquisition and inoculation, lengths of latent periods in the plant and vector, length of the vector infectious period, number of vectors per plant, and the amount of vector movement. Decisions about acquisition, inoculation, and vector movement are made on the basis of the values of pseudorandomly selected numbers. Output includes numbers of viruliferous vectors and positions of infected plants at each iteration. Simulation runs were performed for viruses with four generalized types of vector transmission: nonpersistent, semipersistent, circulative, and propagative [...]