  We develop an agent-based model of disease transmission in remote communities
in Western Australia. Despite extreme isolation, we show that the movement of
people amongst a large number of small but isolated communities has the effect
of causing transmission to spread quickly. Significant movement between remote
communities, and regional and urban centres allows for infection to quickly
spread to and then among these remote communities. Our conclusions are based on
two characteristic features of remote communities in Western Australia: (1)
high mobility of people amongst these communities, and (2) relatively high
proportion of travellers from very small communities to major population
centres. In models of infection initiated in the state capital, Perth, these
remote communities are collectively and uniquely vulnerable. Our model and
analysis does not account for possibly heightened impact due to preexisting
conditions, such additional assumptions would only make the projections of this
model more dire. We advocate stringent monitoring and control of movement to
prevent significant impact on the indigenous population of Western Australia.

Populations and Evolution;Dynamical Systems