Size matters: Sample size assessments for chronic wasting disease surveillance using an agent-based modeling framework

Abstract

We have developed a modeling framework to support the design of efficient disease surveillance programs for wildlife populations. The constituent agent-based models can incorporate real-world heterogeneities associated with disease distribution, harvest, and harvest-based sampling, and can be used to determine population-specific sample sizes necessary for prompt detection of important wildlife diseases like chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis. The modeling framework and its application has been described in detail by Belsare et al. [1]. Here we describe how model scenarios were developed and implemented, and how model outputs were analyzed. The main objectives of this methods paper are to provide users the opportunity to a) assess the reproducibility of the published model results, b) gain an in-depth understanding of model analysis, and c) facilitate adaptation of this modeling framework to other regions and other wildlife disease systems.