How does date-rounding affect phylodynamic inference for public health?

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012900
• Publication Date: 2025-04-11T20:03:18Z
• Authors: Leo A. Featherstone; Danielle J. Ingle; Wytamma Wirth; Sebastian Duchene
• Keywords: Rounding

Phylodynamic analyses infer epidemiological parameters from pathogen genome sequences for enhanced genomic surveillance in public health. Pathogen and their associated sampling dates are the essential data every analysis. However, usually with hospitalisation or testing can sometimes be used to identify individual patients, posing a threat patient confidentiality. To lower this risk, often given reduced date-resolution month year, which potentially bias inference. Here, we introduce practical guideline on when date-rounding biases inference of epidemiologically important across diverse range empirical simulated datasets. We show that direction varies different parameters, datasets, tree priors, while compounding higher substitution rates. also find decreases datasets longer intervals, implying our is most applicable emerging conclude by discussing future solutions prioritise confidentiality propose method safer sharing translates them uniformly random number.