Taeniasis and cysticercosis pose a significant challenge to food safety and public health. Cysticercosis reduces the market value for pigs and cattle by making pork and beef unsafe for consumption. In this paper, a mathematical model for the transmission dynamics of taeniasis and cysticercosis in humans, pigs and cattle is formulated and analyzed. The analysis shows that both the disease free equilibrium (DFE) and the endemic equilibrium (EE) exist. To study the dynamics of the diseases, we derived the basic reproduction number $R_{0}$
R
0
by next generation matrix method. When $R_{0}< 1$
R
0
<
1
, the DFE is globally asymptotically stable whereas when $R_{0} > 1$
R
0
>
1
the EE is globally asymptotically stable. The normalized forward sensitivity index was used to determine sensitive parameters to the diseases. Humans’ recruitment rate, probability of humans’ infection with taeniasis and the defecation rate of taenia eggs by humans with taeniasis are the most positive sensitive parameters to diseases’ transmission whereas the human natural death rate is the most negative sensitive parameter. However, it is biologically unethical and not practical to increase human natural mortality rate for disease control. In this case, other parameters with negative sensitivity indices such as death rate of taenia eggs and proportions of unconsumed infected beef and pork can be considered for disease control. Generally, to control the diseases, more efforts should be made directed to reducing the number of humans who have taeniasis and defecate in the open environment. Also meat inspection and indoor keeping of cattle and pigs should be emphasized.
Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB) disease is a fungal foliar disease caused by Exserohilum turcicum. Moderate temperature and high relative humidity are climatical conditions which favor the development of NCLB disease. A deterministic model for transmission dynamics of NCLB disease with seasonal weather variations is developed and vigorously analyzed. The basic reproduction number ܴ in the absence and presence of the impact of temperature and relative humidity is computed and the sensitivity analysis performed to determine the parameters' relationship with basic reproduction numberܴ. The analysis shows that transmission rate from pathogen to susceptible maize plants, the pathogen's shedding rate from infected maize plants to the environment and maize plants disease induced death rate are more sensitive to NCLB disease dynamics and they play an important role in its transmission. On the other hands when there are high or low temperature and low humidity, sensitive negative parameters increases as the results NCLB disease development decreases. However, increasing parameters such as natural death rate of the pathogen, the natural death rate for maize plants and maize plants' disease induced death rate which have negative indices will reduce new infections. Moderate temperature and high relative humidity influence NCLB disease development.
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