DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTRACELLULAR INFECTION MODEL AND INTEGRATION OF A DIFFUSIONAL EFFECTS MODEL INTO AN IN VIVO SIMULATION OF AN INFLUENZA A INFECTION

We present our work on the development of a stochastic intracellular viral infection model. This model was created using Gillespie's algorithm to describe a structured reaction network of Influenza A's infection cycle. Our analysis includes locating rate limiting steps in the infection and understanding the relationship between multiplicity of infection and percentage of viable infections. We also create a diffusional effects model of influenza virus in vivo and integrate it with a cellular automata simulation to understand the effect of localized interactions on the dynamics of an Influenza infection on a host. We discuss the impact of incorporating a virus diffusion model into the cellular automata simulation and what parameters were particularly important to the simulation. Finally, we explore how the diffusion of virus can influence complications in an infection by presenting a hypothetical case study of an immuno-deficient host