MATHEMATICAL MODELING AND MONKEYPOX’S OPTIMAL CONTROL STRATEGY

Abstract

This study delves into a continuous-time mathematical framework that delineates the transmission dynamics of the monkeypox virus across distinct regions, involving both human and animal hosts. We introduce an optimal approach that encompasses awareness campaigns, security protocols, and health interventions in areas endemic to the virus, aiming to curtail the transmission among individuals and animals, thereby minimizing infections in humans and eradicating the virus in animals. Leveraging the discrete-time Pontryagin principle of maximum, we ascertain optimal controls, employing an iterative methodology to solve the optimal system. Employing Matlab, we conduct numerical simulations and compute a cost-effectiveness ratio. Through a comprehensive cost-effectiveness analysis, we underscore the efficacy of strategies centered around safeguarding vulnerable individuals, preventing contact with infected counterparts—both human and animal—and fostering the utilization of quarantine facilities as the most potent means to govern the spread of the monkeypox virus.