Modelling of the Spread of Rabies with Pre-Exposure Vaccination of Humans

Abstract

Apart from the quest to save human lives, it is also of paramount interest to curtail the spread of rabies in human population. The control of rabies in animals is usually handled either through culling or vaccination of the animal population. Consequently, the possibility of transmitting this disease or virus to healthy animals is drastically reduced. Radies is deadly, and its treatment or control in infected animals is often done successfully during the incubation period before the occurence of symptoms. Thus, the need for pre-exposure vaccination cannot be over emphasized. This paper developed a mathematical model, from that of Zhang et al. which was based on the transmission dynamics and control of rabies in China, to explore the need for pre-exposure vaccination of humans and its impact on the spread of rabies from dogs to humans. The study employed an SEIRS model which consists of both dog and human population.

Keywords: Rabies, Pre-exposure vaccination, Mathematical model, Dogs, Humans