Vector-Borne Disease Models with Active and Inactive Vectors: A Simple Way to Consider Biting Behavior

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Mathematical Biology
• Public Health

Background:

• Vector-borne diseases pose significant public health challenges, with mosquitoes as primary vectors.
• Standard Ross-Macdonald models often simplify mosquito biting behavior.
• Incorporating realistic feeding patterns is crucial for accurate disease dynamics analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a vector-borne disease model that includes active and inactive mosquito vectors.
• To estimate the Ross-Macdonald biting rate using feeding parameters that replicate the dynamics of the new model.
• To improve the representation of mosquito feeding behavior in epidemiological models.

Main Methods:

• A novel vector-borne disease model was developed, differentiating between active and inactive vectors.
• Two epidemiological scenarios were analyzed: SIS-SI and SIR-SI models.
• Various methods for estimating the biting rate in the Ross-Macdonald model were proposed and evaluated.
• Epidemiological indicators were used to compare model outcomes.

Main Results:

• Estimating the biting rate by matching the basic reproduction number between the standard and the new model yielded highly similar disease dynamics.
• The proposed method effectively integrates detailed mosquito feeding behavior into established epidemiological models.
• The model with active and inactive vectors provides a more nuanced representation of disease transmission.

Conclusions:

• Matching the basic reproduction number is a robust method for estimating the biting rate in Ross-Macdonald models.
• This approach enhances the biological realism of vector-borne disease modeling.
• The findings offer a practical way to refine epidemiological predictions and public health strategies for mosquito-borne illnesses.