Mathematical Model for Lassa Fever Transmission and Control

Abstract

Lassa fever is an acute hemorrhagic zoonotic illness (possible transmission from infected animals to humans), caused by Lassa virus whose reservoir host is the Mastomys natalensis (Rodent). It is a disease with a duration of 2-21 days that strives more in African nations and countries with poor water and environmental sanitation. In this paper, a deterministic model for Lassa fever is formulated buttressing the various stages of infection of the disease. We studied the existence and uniqueness of the solutions. The steady states of the model are determined and the basic reproduction number is analyzed with a threshold parameter R which shows persistence of the disease if and only if R 0 > 1 using the next generation matrix. The treatment strategies considered amidst others are the use of antiviral drug and to quarantine infected individuals on early diagnosis of the infection on the asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals respectively. Numerically, it was evidential that the quarantine system has a great positive effect on the rate of recovery of the infected individuals and also in curbing the risk of infection in the environment which can help safeguard the population. A relapse on this method will lead to reinfection of the disease thereby bringing the population to a point of danger.