A mathematical model for malaria involving differential susceptibility, exposedness and infectivity of human host

J Biol Dyn. 2009 Nov;3(6):574-98. doi: 10.1080/17513750902829393.

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to formulate a deterministic mathematical model for the transmission of malaria that considers two host types in the human population. The first type is called "non-immune" comprising all humans who have never acquired immunity against malaria and the second type is called "semi-immune". Non-immune are divided into susceptible, exposed and infectious and semi-immune are divided into susceptible, exposed, infectious and immune. We obtain an explicit formula for the reproductive number, R(0) which is a function of the weight of the transmission semi-immune-mosquito-semi-immune, R(0a), and the weight of the transmission non-immune-mosquito-non-immune, R(0e). Then, we study the existence of endemic equilibria by using bifurcation analysis. We give a simple criterion when R(0) crosses one for forward and backward bifurcation. We explore the possibility of a control for malaria through a specific sub-group such as non-immune or semi-immune or mosquitoes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Disease Susceptibility / epidemiology*
  • Disease Susceptibility / parasitology*
  • Endemic Diseases / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Malaria / prevention & control
  • Malaria / transmission*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Plasmodium / pathogenicity*