Ecoepidemic models with disease incubation and selective hunting

Abstract

In this paper we consider ecoepidemic models in which the basic demographics is represented by predator–prey interactions, with the disease modeled by an SEI system. At first we consider a basic Lotka–Volterra type of interaction. Then we also introduce competition for resources among individuals of the prey population. Several variations of the model are presented, in which the prey intra-specific population pressure assumes different forms, depending on the virulence of the disease. Indeed, the latter may affect the exposed and infected individuals so much that they may not be able to compete with the sound ones for resources. A further distinguishing feature of this investigation lies in the way in which the predator actively selects the prey for hunting. For instance in some cases predators may discard the diseased ones, as less palatable, while in other situations they would instead search expressly for the infected, since these are weaker individuals and thus easier to hunt. The equilibria of the systems are analyzed, showing that in some cases bifurcations arise, contrary to what happens to similar classical Holling type I ecoepidemic models. These persistent oscillations seem to be triggered by the number of subpopulations present in the system, which is larger than those introduced in the former models, counting also the latent class. Furthermore, adding predation to an SEI epidemic model has profound effects on the stability of its equilibria. In particular, once the predators are introduced into an SEI epidemic at a stable endemic equilibrium, their presence destabilizes this equilibrium making the previous stable conditions unrecoverable.