Read, J. M. and Edmunds, W. J. and Riley, S. and Lessler, J. and Cummings, D. A. T. (2012) Close encounters of the infectious kind : methods to measure social mixing behaviour. Epidemiology and Infection, 140 (12). pp. 2117-2130. ISSN 0950-2688
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
A central tenet of close-contact or respiratory infection epidemiology is that infection patterns within human populations are related to underlying patterns of social interaction. Until recently, few researchers had attempted to quantify potentially infectious encounters made between people. Now, however, several studies have quantified social mixing behaviour, using a variety of methods. Here, we review the methodologies employed, suggest other appropriate methods and technologies, and outline future research challenges for this rapidly advancing field of research.