Epidemic threshold and phase transition in scale-free networks with asymmetric infection

We study the SIS epidemic dynamics on scale-freeweighted networks with asymmetric infection, by both analysis andnumerical simulations, with focus on the epidemic threshold aswell as critical behaviors. It is demonstrated that the asymmetryof infection plays an important role: we could redistribute theasymmetry to balance the degree heterogeneity of the network andthen to restore the epidemic threshold to a fnite value. On theother hand, we show that the absence of the epidemic threshold isnot so bad as commented previously since the prevalence grows veryslowly in this case and one could only protect a few vertices toprevent the diseases propagation. © 2008 Springer.