title: Optimal control of a rabies epidemic model with a birth pulse.
abstract: A system of ordinary differential equations describes the population dynamics of a rabies epidemic in raccoons. The model accounts for the dynamics of a vaccine, including loss of vaccine due to animal consumption and loss from factors other than racoon uptake. A control method to reduce the spread of disease is introduced through temporal distribution of vaccine packets. This work incorporates the effect of the seasonal birth pulse in the racoon population and the attendant increase in new-borns which are susceptible to the diseases, analysing the impact of the timing and length of this pulse on the optimal distribution of vaccine packets. The optimization criterion is to minimize the number of infected raccoons while minimizing the cost of distributing the vaccine. Using an optimal control setting, numerical results illustrate strategies for distributing the vaccine depending on the timing of the infection outbreak with respect to the birth pulse.
authors.affiliation: Mathematics and Natural Science Department, Tennessee Temple University, Chattanooga, TN 37404, USA.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clayton
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duke-Sylvester
authors.forename: Louis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lenhart
authors.forename: Leslie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Real
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D058872:Epidemics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011818:Rabies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000662:veterinary*; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D011821:Raccoons / Q000821:virology*; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D011819:Rabies Vaccines