Modeling malaria sensitive and resistant strains with superinfection

Abstract

In this paper, a deterministic model to examine the dynamics of malaria with sensitive and resistant strains in the presence of superinfection is formulated and presented. The basic reproduction is computed using next-generation method and sensitivity index for each parameter with respect to reproduction number R0 is derived. The rate at which human beings are infected by malaria resistant strain and mosquitoes’ mortality rate are the most sensitive parameters to malaria transmission dynamics. Though analysis shows that the rates at which humans are infected by resistant strain and mosquitoes’ natural mortality rate are more sensitive to the disease transmission dynamics, still mosquitoes’ biting rate plays an important role in the transmission dynamics of malaria. To control malaria infection, interventions which increase mosquitoes’ natural mortality, and decrease their biting rate are recommended.