This text deals with the mathematical and statistical techniques underlying the models used to understand the population dynamics of not only HIV/AIDS, but also of other infectious diseases. Attention is given to the development of strategies for the prevention and control of the international epidemic within the frameworks of the models. The text incorporates stochastic and deterministic formulations within a unifying conceptual framework.

AIDS (autoimmune deficiency syndrome) is a devastating human disease caused by HIV, a human immunodeficiency virus, which may be transmitted by either sexual or other contacts in which body fluids are exchanged. Cases of AIDS have been reported in a majority of countries throughout the world, indicating that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is international in scope.This book deals with the mathematical and statistical techniques underlying the models used to understand the population dynamics of not only HIV/AIDS but also other infectious diseases. Attention is given to the development strategies for the prevention and control of the international epidemic within the frameworks of the models. Two distinguishing features of the book are the incorporation of stochastic and deterministic formulations within a unifying conceptual framework and the discussion of issues related to the mathematical designs of models, which are necessary for the rigorous utilization of computer-intensive methods. The book will be of value to applied mathematicians, biomathematicians, biostatisticians, epidemiologists and other scientists interested in applying mathematics and computers to not only the HIV/AIDS epidemic but also other fields of epidemiology.

This book discusses systematically treatment on the development of stochastic, statistical and state space models of the HIV epidemic and of HIV pathogenesis in HIV-infected individuals, and presents the applications of these models. The book is unique in several ways: (1) it uses stochastic difference and differential equations to present the stochastic models of the HIV epidemic and HIV pathogenesis; in this sense, the deterministic models are considered as special cases when the numbers of different type of people or cells are very large (2) it provides, a critical analysis of deterministic and statistical models in the literature; (3) it develops state space models by combining stochastic models and statistical models; and (4) it provides a detailed discussion on the pros and cons of the different modeling approaches. This book is the first to introduce state space models for the HIV epidemic. It is also the first to develop stochastic models and state space models for the HIV pathogenesis in HIV-infected individuals.

- Only book on extensive, deterministic models, statistic models, stochastic models and state space models and statistical methods for HIV epidemic involving IV drug usage and HIV epidemic in homosexual populations. - Provides most recent biological insights into HIV pathogenesis and HIV kinetics at the cellular level, and illustrates how to build up mathematical models based on these biological insights. - Only publication that provides in-depth analysis of HAART treatment protocols and discusses possible improvements to the HAART protocol. The book also provides connection between pharmacokinetics with treatment in HIV-infected individuals.

This collection of papers gives a representative cross-selectional view of recent developments in the field. After a survey paper by C. Lefèvre, 17 other research papers look at stochastic modeling of epidemics, both from a theoretical and a statistical point of view. Some look more specifically at a particular disease such as AIDS, malaria, schistosomiasis and diabetes.

With contributions from an international team of leading researchers, the book pulls together updated research results in the area of HIV/AIDS modeling to provide readers with the latest information in the field. Topics covered include: AIDS epidemic models; vaccine models; models for HIV/cell dynamics and interactions; cellular kinetics; viral dynamics with antiviral treatments; modeling of drug resistance and quasispecies.