Virginia Pitzer, ScD
Research & Publications
Biography
News
Locations
Research Summary
Professor Pitzer uses mathematical models for the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases to understand patterns in the distribution of cases over time and space, and to predict the potential impact of interventions such as vaccination. By integrating epidemiological data analysis with concepts from disease ecology, she studies how characteristics of host-pathogen interactions affect the population-level spread of disease. Current projects include understanding the dynamics of rotavirus and the potential impact of vaccination in developing countries; evaluating strategies for controlling typhoid fever in endemic countries; and understanding how climatic factors influence the seasonality and spatiotemporal spread of RSV.
Specialized Terms: Transmission dynamics; Mathematical modeling; Rotavirus; Typhoid fever
Coauthors
Research Interests
Ecology; Immunization; Paratyphoid Fever; Rotavirus; Typhoid Fever; Global Health
Public Health Interests
Global Health; Infectious Diseases; Influenza; Microbial Ecology; Modeling; Respiratory Disease/Infections; Child/Adolescent Health; COVID-19
Selected Publications
- Assessing the global risk of typhoid outbreaks caused by extensively drug resistant Salmonella TyphiWalker J, Chaguza C, Grubaugh N, Carey M, Baker S, Khan K, Bogoch I, Pitzer V. Assessing the global risk of typhoid outbreaks caused by extensively drug resistant Salmonella Typhi. Nature Communications 2023, 14: 6502. PMID: 37845201, PMCID: PMC10579367, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42353-9.
- Incorporating data from multiple endpoints in the analysis of clinical trials: example from RSV vaccines.Prunas O, Willemsen J, Bont L, Pitzer V, Warren J, Weinberger D. Incorporating data from multiple endpoints in the analysis of clinical trials: example from RSV vaccines. Epidemiology 2023 PMID: 37793120, DOI: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001680.
- Floods and Diarrhea Risk in Young Children in Low- and Middle-Income CountriesWang P, Asare E, Pitzer V, Dubrow R, Chen K. Floods and Diarrhea Risk in Young Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. JAMA Pediatrics 2023, 177 PMID: 37782513, PMCID: PMC10546297, DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.3964.
- The blossoming of methods and software in computational biologyGabhann F, Pitzer V, Papin J. The blossoming of methods and software in computational biology. PLOS Computational Biology 2023, 19: e1011390. PMID: 37590323, PMCID: PMC10434930, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011390.
- Year-round RSV Transmission in the Netherlands Following the COVID-19 Pandemic - A Prospective Nationwide Observational and Modeling Study.Löwensteyn Y, Zheng Z, Rave N, Bannier M, Billard M, Casalegno J, Pitzer V, Wildenbeest J, Weinberger D, Bont L, Vermaas-van Putten M, Smit-Kleinlugtenbeld E, Peetsold M, van der Kuip M, van Goudoever H, van Keulen B, Boot A, Kloos R, van Gool S, Snepvangers Y, Kuijpers A, Menelik N, de Crom S, Miedema C, ten Tusscher G, van Giessen J, de Moor R, Faber M, Breukels M, Jaddoe V, Duijts L, Lutterman C, Vink I, Tramper-Stranders G, Oudshoorn A, Ritman A, Dubbink-Verheij G, Bolt J, Cakir C, Rietveld E, Bekhof J, Rings E, de Swart J, Driessen G, Doedens R, Nijssen L, van Onzenoort-Bokken L, Meijneke R, van Scherpenzeel M, Faber T, de Groof F, Schouten S, van de Zande J, de Coul M, Henriet S, Stol K, van Rossem M, Jacobs M, van Houten M, Zuurbier R, Plötz F, de Vries A, van der Heide R, van Boekholt A, de Jong G, Rashid A, Roelofs M, Illy K, Reijmerink N, van Dorth S, Schipper S, Rosias P, Teirlinck A. Year-round RSV Transmission in the Netherlands Following the COVID-19 Pandemic - A Prospective Nationwide Observational and Modeling Study. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2023 PMID: 37477906, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad282.
- COVID-19 Related Immunisation Disruptions from 2020-2030: Projecting Health Impact and Mitigation Strategies for 14 Pathogens Across 112 Low- and Middle-Income CountriesHartner A, Li X, Echeverria-Londono S, Roth J, Abbas K, Auzenbergs M, de Villiers M, Ferrari M, Fraser K, Fu H, Hallett T, Hinsley W, Jit M, Prasinou A, Moore S, Nayagam S, Papadopoulos T, Perkins T, Portnoy A, Tran Q, Vynnycky E, Winter A, Burrows H, Chen C, Clapham H, Deshpande A, Hauryski S, Huber J, Jean K, Kim C, Kim J, Koh J, Lopman B, Pitzer V, Tam Y, Lambach P, Sim S, Woodruff K, Ferguson N, Trotter C, Gaythorpe K. COVID-19 Related Immunisation Disruptions from 2020-2030: Projecting Health Impact and Mitigation Strategies for 14 Pathogens Across 112 Low- and Middle-Income Countries. 2023 DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4492698.
- Changes in Population Immunity Against Infection and Severe Disease From Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Omicron Variants in the United States Between December 2021 and November 2022Klaassen F, Chitwood M, Cohen T, Pitzer V, Russi M, Swartwood N, Salomon J, Menzies N. Changes in Population Immunity Against Infection and Severe Disease From Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Omicron Variants in the United States Between December 2021 and November 2022. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2023, 77: 355-361. PMID: 37074868, PMCID: PMC10425195, DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad210.
- Assessment of vaccine herd protection in a cluster-randomised trial of Vi conjugate vaccine against typhoid fever: results of further analysisKhanam F, Kim D, Liu X, Voysey M, Pitzer V, Zaman K, Pollard A, Qadri F, Clemens J. Assessment of vaccine herd protection in a cluster-randomised trial of Vi conjugate vaccine against typhoid fever: results of further analysis. EClinicalMedicine 2023, 58: 101925. PMID: 37090439, PMCID: PMC10114505, DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101925.
- Cost-effectiveness analysis of typhoid conjugate vaccines in an outbreak setting: a modeling studyPhillips M, Antillon M, Bilcke J, Bar-Zeev N, Limani F, Debellut F, Pecenka C, Neuzil K, Gordon M, Thindwa D, Paltiel A, Yaesoubi R, Pitzer V. Cost-effectiveness analysis of typhoid conjugate vaccines in an outbreak setting: a modeling study. BMC Infectious Diseases 2023, 23: 143. PMID: 36890448, PMCID: PMC9993384, DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08105-2.
- Predicting indirect effects of rotavirus vaccination programs on rotavirus mortality among children in 112 countriesKraay A, Chaney D, Deshpande A, Pitzer V, Lopman B. Predicting indirect effects of rotavirus vaccination programs on rotavirus mortality among children in 112 countries. Npj Vaccines 2023, 8: 32. PMID: 36871093, PMCID: PMC9985632, DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00632-y.
- Planning for Mpox on a College Campus: A Model-Based Decision-Support Tool.Savinkina A, Chitwood M, Kwon J, Pitzer V, Gonsalves G, Paltiel A. Planning for Mpox on a College Campus: A Model-Based Decision-Support Tool. Annals Of Internal Medicine 2023, 176: 340-347. PMID: 36716454, PMCID: PMC10338074, DOI: 10.7326/m22-2734.
- Comparison of model predictions of typhoid conjugate vaccine public health impact and cost-effectivenessBurrows H, Antillón M, Gauld J, Kim J, Mogasale V, Ryckman T, Andrews J, Lo N, Pitzer V. Comparison of model predictions of typhoid conjugate vaccine public health impact and cost-effectiveness. Vaccine 2022, 41: 965-975. PMID: 36586741, PMCID: PMC9880559, DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.12.032.
- Waning Effectiveness of the BNT162b2 Vaccine Against Infection in Adolescents in Israel.Prunas O, Weinberger D, Pitzer V, Gazit S, Patalon T. Waning Effectiveness of the BNT162b2 Vaccine Against Infection in Adolescents in Israel. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2022, 76: 113-118. PMID: 36484301, PMCID: PMC10202431, DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac315.
- Predicting the long-term impact of rotavirus vaccination in 112 countries from 2006 to 2034: A transmission modeling analysisKraay A, Steele M, Baker J, Hall E, Deshpande A, Saidzosa B, Mukaratirwa A, Boula A, Mpabalwani E, Kiulia N, Tsolenyanu E, Enweronu-Laryea C, Abebe A, Beyene B, Tefera M, Willilo R, Batmunkh N, Pastore R, Mwenda J, Antoni S, Cohen A, Pitzer V, Lopman B. Predicting the long-term impact of rotavirus vaccination in 112 countries from 2006 to 2034: A transmission modeling analysis. Vaccine 2022, 40: 6631-6639. PMID: 36210251, PMCID: PMC10351612, DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.09.072.
- Long-term Drought and Diarrhea among Children under Five and the Role of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene PracticesWang P, Asare E, Pitzer V, Dubrow R, Chen K. Long-term Drought and Diarrhea among Children under Five and the Role of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Practices. ISEE Conference Abstracts 2022, 2022 DOI: 10.1289/isee.2022.o-op-265.
- Associations Between Drought and Childhood Diarrhea in Low- and Middle-Income CountriesWang P, Asare E, Pitzer V, Dubrow R, Chen K. Associations Between Drought and Childhood Diarrhea in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. ISEE Conference Abstracts 2021, 2021 DOI: 10.1289/isee.2021.o-lt-029.
- Meeting Report: WHO Workshop on modelling global mortality and aetiology estimates of enteric pathogens in children under five. Cape Town, 28–29th November 2018Prudden H, Hasso-Agopsowicz M, Black R, Troeger C, Reiner R, Breiman R, Jit M, Kang G, Lamberti L, Lanata C, Lopman B, Ndifon W, Pitzer V, Platts-Mills J, Riddle M, Smith P, Hutubessy R, Giersing B. Meeting Report: WHO Workshop on modelling global mortality and aetiology estimates of enteric pathogens in children under five. Cape Town, 28–29th November 2018. Vaccine 2020, 38: 4792-4800. PMID: 32253097, PMCID: PMC7306158, DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.01.054.
- GOOGLE SEARCHES ACCURATELY FORECAST RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS HOSPITALIZATIONSAlthouse B, Weinberger D, Scarpino S, Pitzer V, Ayers J, Wenger E, Fung I, Dredze M, Hu H. GOOGLE SEARCHES ACCURATELY FORECAST RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS HOSPITALIZATIONS. CHEST Journal 2019, 155: 65a. DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2019.02.077.
- Direct and possible indirect effects of vaccination on rotavirus hospitalisations among children in Malawi four years after programmatic introductionBennett A, Pollock L, Jere K, Pitzer V, Parashar U, Tate J, Heyderman R, Mwansambo C, French N, Nakagomi O, Iturriza-Gomara M, Everett D, Cunliffe N, Bar-Zeev N, Consortium F. Direct and possible indirect effects of vaccination on rotavirus hospitalisations among children in Malawi four years after programmatic introduction. Vaccine 2018, 36: 7142-7148. PMID: 29887320, PMCID: PMC6238204, DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.04.030.
- PIN1 Case Fatality Rate of Enteric Fever: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisPieters Z, Saad N, Antillon M, Pitzer V, Bilcke J. PIN1 Case Fatality Rate of Enteric Fever: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Value In Health 2017, 20: a778-a779. DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2017.08.2254.
- The Typhoid Vaccine Acceleration Consortium (TyVAC): Vaccine effectiveness study designs: Accelerating the introduction of typhoid conjugate vaccines and reducing the global burden of enteric fever. Report from a meeting held on 26–27 October 2016, Oxford, UKMeiring J, Gibani M, Group: T, Basnyat, Bentsi-Enchill A, Clemens J, Darton T, Date K, Dougan G, Garrett D, Gessner B, Gordon M, Heyderman R, Hombach J, Kotloff K, Levine M, Luby S, Mohan V, Marfin A, Mulholland K, Neuzil K, Pitzer V, Pollard A, Qadri F, Salisbury D, Zaidi A. The Typhoid Vaccine Acceleration Consortium (TyVAC): Vaccine effectiveness study designs: Accelerating the introduction of typhoid conjugate vaccines and reducing the global burden of enteric fever. Report from a meeting held on 26–27 October 2016, Oxford, UK. Vaccine 2017, 35: 5081-5088. PMID: 28802757, DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.08.001.
- Strategies to Prevent Cholera Introduction during International Personnel Deployments: A Computational Modeling Analysis Based on the 2010 Haiti OutbreakLewnard JA, Antillón M, Gonsalves G, Miller AM, Ko AI, Pitzer VE. Strategies to Prevent Cholera Introduction during International Personnel Deployments: A Computational Modeling Analysis Based on the 2010 Haiti Outbreak. PLOS Medicine 2016, 13: e1001947. PMID: 26812236, PMCID: PMC4727895, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001947.
- In-season and out-of-season variation of rotavirus genotype distribution and age of infection across 12 European countries before the introduction of routine vaccination, 2007/08 to 2012/13.Hungerford D, Vivancos R, Read J, Pitzer V, Cunliffe N, French N, Iturriza-Gómara M. In-season and out-of-season variation of rotavirus genotype distribution and age of infection across 12 European countries before the introduction of routine vaccination, 2007/08 to 2012/13. Eurosurveillance 2016, 21 PMID: 26794258, DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2016.21.2.30106.
- Chapter 2.10 Molecular Epidemiology and Evolution of RotavirusesBányai K, Pitzer V. Chapter 2.10 Molecular Epidemiology and Evolution of Rotaviruses. 2016, 279-299. DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-802241-2.00014-6.
- Did Large-Scale Vaccination Drive Changes in the Circulating Rotavirus Population in Belgium?Pitzer VE, Bilcke J, Heylen E, Crawford FW, Callens M, De Smet F, Van Ranst M, Zeller M, Matthijnssens J. Did Large-Scale Vaccination Drive Changes in the Circulating Rotavirus Population in Belgium? Scientific Reports 2015, 5: 18585. PMID: 26687288, PMCID: PMC4685644, DOI: 10.1038/srep18585.
- Environmental Drivers of the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in the United StatesPitzer VE, Viboud C, Alonso WJ, Wilcox T, Metcalf CJ, Steiner CA, Haynes AK, Grenfell BT. Environmental Drivers of the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in the United States. PLOS Pathogens 2015, 11: e1004591. PMID: 25569275, PMCID: PMC4287610, DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004591.
- Modeling the potential impact of typhoid conjugate vaccinesPitzer V, Bowles C, Baker S, Grenfell B. Modeling the potential impact of typhoid conjugate vaccines. International Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2014, 21: 54. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2014.03.532.
- Predicting the Impact of Vaccination on the Transmission Dynamics of Typhoid in South Asia: A Mathematical Modeling StudyPitzer VE, Bowles CC, Baker S, Kang G, Balaji V, Farrar JJ, Grenfell BT. Predicting the Impact of Vaccination on the Transmission Dynamics of Typhoid in South Asia: A Mathematical Modeling Study. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2014, 8: e2642. PMID: 24416466, PMCID: PMC3886927, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002642.
- Understanding Reduced Rotavirus Vaccine Efficacy in Low Socio-Economic SettingsLopman BA, Pitzer VE, Sarkar R, Gladstone B, Patel M, Glasser J, Gambhir M, Atchison C, Grenfell BT, Edmunds WJ, Kang G, Parashar UD. Understanding Reduced Rotavirus Vaccine Efficacy in Low Socio-Economic Settings. PLOS ONE 2012, 7: e41720. PMID: 22879893, PMCID: PMC3412858, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041720.
- Modeling rotavirus strain dynamics in developed countries to understand the potential impact of vaccination on genotype distributionsPitzer VE, Patel MM, Lopman BA, Viboud C, Parashar UD, Grenfell BT. Modeling rotavirus strain dynamics in developed countries to understand the potential impact of vaccination on genotype distributions. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2011, 108: 19353-19358. PMID: 22084114, PMCID: PMC3228484, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1110507108.
- Correction: Absolute Humidity and the Seasonal Onset of Influenza in the Continental United StatesShaman J, Pitzer V, Viboud C, Grenfell B, Lipsitch M. Correction: Absolute Humidity and the Seasonal Onset of Influenza in the Continental United States. PLOS Biology 2010, 8: 10.1371/annotation/35686514-b7a9-4f65-9663-7baefc0d63c0. PMCID: PMC2841683, DOI: 10.1371/annotation/35686514-b7a9-4f65-9663-7baefc0d63c0.
- Correction: Absolute Humidity and the Seasonal Onset of Influenza in the Continental United StatesShaman J, Pitzer V, Viboud C, Grenfell B, Lipsitch M. Correction: Absolute Humidity and the Seasonal Onset of Influenza in the Continental United States. PLOS Biology 2010, 8: 10.1371/annotation/9ddc5251-72a1-4eba-ae35-9ab04488527b. PMCID: PMC2840015, DOI: 10.1371/annotation/9ddc5251-72a1-4eba-ae35-9ab04488527b.
- Absolute Humidity and the Seasonal Onset of Influenza in the Continental United StatesShaman J, Pitzer VE, Viboud C, Grenfell BT, Lipsitch M. Absolute Humidity and the Seasonal Onset of Influenza in the Continental United States. PLOS Biology 2010, 8: e1000316. PMID: 20186267, PMCID: PMC2826374, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000316.
- Absolute Humidity and the Seasonal Onset of Influenza in the Continental USShaman J, Pitzer V, Viboud C, Lipsitch M, Grenfell B. Absolute Humidity and the Seasonal Onset of Influenza in the Continental US. PLOS Currents 2009, 2: ecurrents.rrn1138. PMID: 20066155, PMCID: PMC2803311, DOI: 10.1371/currents.rrn1138.
- Demographic Variability, Vaccination, and the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Rotavirus EpidemicsPitzer VE, Viboud C, Simonsen L, Steiner C, Panozzo CA, Alonso WJ, Miller MA, Glass RI, Glasser JW, Parashar UD, Grenfell BT. Demographic Variability, Vaccination, and the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Rotavirus Epidemics. Science 2009, 325: 290-294. PMID: 19608910, PMCID: PMC3010406, DOI: 10.1126/science.1172330.
- Anaplasma phagocytophilum in White-tailed Deer - Volume 11, Number 10—October 2005 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDCMassung R, Courtney J, Hiratzka S, Pitzer V, Smith G, Dryden R. Anaplasma phagocytophilum in White-tailed Deer - Volume 11, Number 10—October 2005 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC. Emerging Infectious Diseases 2005, 11: 1604-1606. PMID: 16318705, PMCID: PMC3366735, DOI: 10.3201/eid1110.041329.