Agent skill
bio-epidemiological-genomics-transmission-inference
Infer pathogen transmission networks and identify likely transmission pairs using TransPhylo and outbreak reconstruction algorithms. Estimate who-infected-whom from genomic and epidemiological data. Use when investigating outbreak transmission chains or identifying superspreaders.
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/FreedomIntelligence/OpenClaw-Medical-Skills/tree/main/skills/bio-epidemiological-genomics-transmission-inference
SKILL.md
Version Compatibility
Reference examples tested with: BioPython 1.83+, TreeTime 0.11+, matplotlib 3.8+, numpy 1.26+, pandas 2.2+, scanpy 1.10+
Before using code patterns, verify installed versions match. If versions differ:
- Python:
pip show <package>thenhelp(module.function)to check signatures - R:
packageVersion('<pkg>')then?function_nameto verify parameters
If code throws ImportError, AttributeError, or TypeError, introspect the installed package and adapt the example to match the actual API rather than retrying.
Transmission Inference
"Infer who infected whom in my outbreak" → Reconstruct transmission networks from genomic and epidemiological data to identify transmission pairs, superspreaders, and unsampled cases.
- R:
TransPhylo::inferTTree()for Bayesian transmission tree inference
TransPhylo in R
library(TransPhylo)
library(ape)
# Load dated phylogeny (from BEAST/TreeTime)
tree <- read.nexus('dated_tree.nexus')
# Convert to TransPhylo format
ptree <- ptreeFromPhylo(tree, dateLastSample = 2020.5)
# Estimate transmission tree
# Uses MCMC to sample from posterior distribution
res <- inferTTree(
ptree,
mcmcIterations = 100000,
startNeg = 0.1, # Initial within-host effective population
startOff.r = 2, # Initial R0 estimate
startOff.p = 0.5, # Initial sampling probability
startPi = 0.9, # Initial probability of being sampled
dateT = 2020.6 # End of outbreak observation
)
# Extract consensus transmission tree
ttree <- extractTTree(res)
# Get transmission pairs
pairs <- ttree$ttree[, c('infector', 'infectee', 'time')]
Prepare Data
def prepare_for_transphylo(dated_tree_file, sample_dates, output_prefix):
'''Prepare inputs for TransPhylo analysis
Requirements:
- Time-scaled phylogeny (from TreeTime or BEAST)
- Sample collection dates
- Tips must have matching names
TransPhylo estimates:
- Who infected whom
- Unsampled cases in the transmission chain
- R0 and generation time
'''
from Bio import Phylo
import pandas as pd
tree = Phylo.read(dated_tree_file, 'nexus')
# Verify all tips have dates
dates_df = pd.read_csv(sample_dates, sep='\t')
tip_names = {clade.name for clade in tree.get_terminals()}
dated_names = set(dates_df['name'])
missing = tip_names - dated_names
if missing:
print(f'Warning: {len(missing)} tips without dates: {missing}')
return {'tree': dated_tree_file, 'dates': sample_dates}
Interpret Results
# Analyze TransPhylo output
# Get median transmission tree
med_tree <- medTTree(res)
# Plot transmission tree
plot(med_tree)
# Get R0 estimate
r0_samples <- res$record[, 'off.r']
cat('R0 estimate:', median(r0_samples), '\n')
cat('95% CI:', quantile(r0_samples, c(0.025, 0.975)), '\n')
# Identify superspreaders
# Count number infected by each case
infections_per_case <- table(med_tree$ttree[, 'infector'])
superspreaders <- names(infections_per_case[infections_per_case > 3])
Python Alternative: outbreaker2 Wrapper
Goal: Infer likely transmission pairs from genomic distance and collection dates without requiring a dated phylogeny.
Approach: For each pair of samples, check that the potential infector was sampled earlier, that the time interval is compatible with the generation time, and that the SNP distance is consistent with direct transmission.
def infer_transmission_simple(distance_matrix, dates, generation_time=5):
'''Simplified transmission inference
Uses genomic distance and collection dates to infer likely
transmission pairs. Less sophisticated than TransPhylo but
doesn't require dated phylogeny.
Criteria for transmission pair (A -> B):
1. A collected before B
2. Genomic distance consistent with direct transmission
3. Time difference compatible with generation time
'''
import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
n = len(dates)
transmission_pairs = []
for i in range(n):
for j in range(n):
if i == j:
continue
time_diff = dates[j] - dates[i] # Days between collection
# Potential infector must be sampled first
if time_diff <= 0:
continue
# Check if time difference is compatible
# Generation time: time between infection of case and infection of secondary
# Serial interval: time between symptom onset (often used as proxy)
if time_diff > generation_time * 3: # Too much time
continue
# Check genomic distance
snp_diff = distance_matrix[i, j]
# Expected SNPs = rate * time
# For most pathogens, direct transmission = 0-5 SNP difference
expected_snps = (time_diff / 365) * 10 # Rough estimate
if snp_diff <= max(5, expected_snps * 2):
transmission_pairs.append({
'infector': i,
'infectee': j,
'snp_distance': snp_diff,
'days_between': time_diff,
'confidence': 'high' if snp_diff <= 2 else 'moderate'
})
return pd.DataFrame(transmission_pairs)
Network Visualization
Goal: Visualize the inferred transmission chain as a directed network graph showing who infected whom.
Approach: Build a directed NetworkX graph from transmission pairs and render it with spring layout, directional arrows, and labeled nodes.
def plot_transmission_network(pairs_df, metadata=None):
'''Visualize transmission network
Uses networkx to create directed graph of transmissions.
'''
import networkx as nx
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
G = nx.DiGraph()
for _, row in pairs_df.iterrows():
G.add_edge(row['infector'], row['infectee'],
weight=row.get('confidence', 1))
# Layout
pos = nx.spring_layout(G)
# Draw
plt.figure(figsize=(12, 8))
nx.draw(G, pos, with_labels=True, node_color='lightblue',
node_size=500, arrows=True, arrowsize=20)
plt.title('Transmission Network')
return plt.gcf()
Superspreader Analysis
def identify_superspreaders(transmission_pairs, threshold=3):
'''Identify superspreading events
Superspreader: Individual who infected many others
Threshold typically 80/20 rule: 20% of cases cause 80% of transmission
Common threshold: >3 secondary cases
'''
from collections import Counter
infector_counts = Counter(transmission_pairs['infector'])
superspreaders = {k: v for k, v in infector_counts.items() if v >= threshold}
total_transmissions = sum(infector_counts.values())
ss_transmissions = sum(superspreaders.values())
print(f'Superspreaders (>{threshold} secondary cases):')
for ss, count in sorted(superspreaders.items(), key=lambda x: -x[1]):
print(f' Case {ss}: {count} secondary infections')
print(f'\nSuperspreading contribution: {ss_transmissions/total_transmissions:.1%}')
return superspreaders
Related Skills
- epidemiological-genomics/phylodynamics - Generate dated trees
- epidemiological-genomics/pathogen-typing - Identify outbreak clones
- data-visualization/interactive-visualization - Visualize transmission
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