Understanding the transmission pathways of Lassa fever: A mathematical modeling approach

Abstract

The spread of Lassa fever infection is increasing in West Africa over the last decade. The impact of this can better be understood when considering the various possible transmission routes. We designed a mathematical model for the epidemiology of Lassa Fever using a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations to determine the effect of transmission pathways toward the infection progression in humans and rodents including those usually neglected such as the environmental surface and aerosol routes. We analyzed the model and carried out numerical simulations to determine the impact of each transmission routes. Our results showed that the burden of Lassa fever infection is increased when all the transmission routes are incorporated and most single transmission routes are less harmful, but when in combination with other transmission routes, they increase the Lassa fever burden. It is therefore important to consider multiple transmission routes to better estimate the Lassa fever burden optimally and in turn determine control strategies targeted at the transmission pathways.