Abstract
In this paper we modify previous models to develop a new model of within-host dengue infection without the assumption that monocyte production is constant. We show that this new model exhibits behavior not seen in previous models. We then proceed by obtaining an expression for the net reproductive rate of the virus and thus establish a stability result. We also perform a sensitivity analysis to test various treatment strategies and find that two strategies might be fruitful. One is the reduction of the infection rate of monocytes by viruses and the other, more effective, theoretical approach is to reduce the number of new viruses per infected monocyte.
Highlights
Dengue is a virus belonging to the Flavivirus genus
In this paper we have presented a new model for within-host dengue infection
The new approach does not assume that the monocyte production is constant throughout infection and includes a fifth equation that models the production of the primary stimulant for monocyte production, Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (M-CSF)
Summary
Dengue is a virus belonging to the Flavivirus genus. The Flavivirus genus includes mostly mosquito-borne viruses such as the West Nile virus and the yellow fever virus. All serotypes of the dengue virus can cause the full spectrum of disease symptoms [1]. As there are no specific anti-viral treatments for dengue infection, supportive care is the usual treatment. This may include bed rest, antipyretics and analgesics. The incubation period of the virus in an infected host ranges from 5 to 10 days [3]. The production is controlled by the Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (M-CSF) We account for this additional aspect in our model and show that this modification allows for better agreement with the data. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows: in Section 2 we formulate the homogeneous viral infection model.
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