Mathematical methods for scaling from within-host to population-scale in infectious disease systems

Mathematical modellers model infectious disease dynamics at different scales. Within-host models represent the spread of pathogens inside an individual, whilst between-host models track transmission between individuals. However, pathogen dynamics at one scale affect those at another. This has led to the development of multiscale models that connect within-host and between-host dynamics. In this article, we systematically review the literature on multiscale infectious disease modelling according to PRISMA guidelines, dividing previously published models into five categories governing their methodological approaches (Garira (2017)), explaining their benefits and limitations. We provide a primer on developing multiscale models of infectious diseases.