Qualitative analysis of a fractional-order two-strain epidemic model with vaccination and general non-monotonic incidence rate.

Abstract

In this paper, a fractional-order two-strain epidemic model with vaccination and general non-monotonic incidence rate is analyzed. The studied problem is formulated using susceptible, infectious and recovered compartmental model. A Caputo fractional operator is incorporated in each compartment to describe the memory effect related to an epidemic evolution. First, the global existence, positivity and boundedness of solutions of the proposed model are proved. The basic reproduction numbers associated with studied problem are calculated. Four steady states are given, namely the disease-free equilibrium, the strain 1 endemic equilibrium, the strain 2 endemic equilibrium, and the endemic equilibrium associated with both strains. By considering appropriate Lyapunov functions, the global stability of the equilibrium points is proven according to the model parameters. Our modeling approach using a generalized non-monotonic incidence functions encloses a variety of fractional-order epidemic models existing in the literature. Finally, the theoretical findings are illustrated using numerical simulations.