Abstract
Lassa fever is an animal-borne acute viral illness caused by the Lassa virus. This disease is endemic in parts of West Africa including Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. We formulate a mathematical model for Lassa fever disease transmission under the assumption of a homogeneously mixed population. We highlighted the basic factors influencing the transmission of Lassa fever and also determined and analyzed the important mathematical features of the model. We extended the model by introducing various control intervention measures, like external protection, isolation, treatment, and rodent control. The extended model was analyzed and compared with the basic model by appropriate qualitative analysis and numerical simulation approach. We invoked the optimal control theory so as to determine how to reduce the spread of the disease with minimum cost.
Highlights
Lassa fever is a zoonotic acute viral illness caused by the Lassa virus. e host of Lassa virus is a rodent known as the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis)
According to the World Health Organization, “from 1 January through 9 February 2020, 472 laboratory confirmed cases including 70 deaths have been reported in 26 out of 36 Nigerian states and the Federal Capital Territory” [3]. e WHO reported that “Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria and the annual peak of human cases is usually observed during the dry season (December–April) following the reproduction cycle of the Mastomys rats in the wet season (May–June)” [3]
Vital information about the Lassa fever dynamics was obtained from our analysis, and choosing an appropriate mathematical epidemiological model will play an important role in giving all possible information on the general dynamics of the disease
Summary
Lassa fever is a zoonotic acute viral illness caused by the Lassa virus. e host of Lassa virus is a rodent known as the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis). Erefore, in this study, we shall consider a mathematical model to investigate the dynamics and control intervention strategies for Lassa fever disease. Sometimes, even when these control strategies are available, the ability to fund it becomes a vital issue, especially in poor communities where there are limited resources. To the best of our understanding, none of the studies in the literature have considered multiple transmission pathways incorporating multiple control measures in a mathematical model to investigate the dynamics and optimal control measures for Lassa fever infection. In determining the short-term dynamics of Lassa fever, it is important to investigate the stability of the disease-free equilibrium (DFE) [38]. Further investigation on this will be done in our subsequent analysis in our numerical simulations
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