DYNAMICAL MODEL OF IN-HOST HIV INFECTION: WITH DRUG THERAPY AND MULTI VIRAL STRAINS

Abstract

In this paper, a mathematical model for the effect of drug therapy on the in-host dynamics of HIV is considered and analyzed. As the process of reverse transcription is highly error prone, it causes mutation of virus which results in the emergence of drug resistant virus. This is also accounted in the model and corresponding model with both drug resistant and drug sensitive viral strains is studied. We found that, if reproductive ratios for both the strains are less than one, the virus population goes to extinction. If the reproductive ratio of either strain is greater than one and the reproductive ratio of drug resistant virus is smaller than that of drug sensitive virus then both the virus strains persist and infection is not cleared. However if reproductive ratio of drug resistant virus is greater than that of drug sensitive virus then the drug resistant virus out-competes the drug sensitive virus and only drug resistant virus survives. Hence the ratio of two reproduction ratios works as invading capacity threshold value for drug resistant strain. We also noted that by increasing the effective efficacy of the drug, virus may be cleared. Numerical simulations are performed to support and elaborate the analytical findings.