Analysis of Listeriosis Transmission Dynamics with Optimal Control
Shaibu Osman, Dominic Otoo, Charles Sebil
Abstract
Listeriosis is an illness caused by the germ Listeria monocytogenes. Generally, humans are infected with listeriosis after eating contaminated food. Listeriosis mostly affects people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns. In this paper, a model describing the dynamics of Listeriosis is developed and analysed using ordinary differential equations. The model was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively for its local and global stability, basic reproductive number and parameter contributions to the basic reproductive number to understand the impact of each parameter on the disease spread. The Listeriosis model has been extended to include time dependent control variables such as treatment of both humans and animals, vaccination and education of humans. Pontryagin's Maximum Principle was introduced to obtain the best optimal control strategies required for curbing Listeriosis infections. Numerical simulation was performed and the results displayed graphically and discussed. Cost effectiveness analysis was conducted using the intervention averted ratio (IAR) concepts and it was revealed that the most effective intervention strategy is the treatment of infected humans and animals.