Hepatitis B Virus Disease: A Mathematical Model for Vertical Transmission with Treatment Strategy

Abstract

This paper presents a mathematical model that captures some essential information about the impacts of treatment on hepatitis B vertical transmission. The treatment induced reproduction number is compared with the basic reproduction number to assess the possible benefits to be obtained from this control measure. Numerical results and sensitivity analysis are carried out to support the analytical results and determine the parameters influencing the dynamics of the disease. It is indicated that in the presence of treatment, transmission of infection decreases, implying that the number of acute and chronic infected adult women decrease as well, resulting into fewer infected newborn babies.

Mathematics Subject Classification: 34D20

Key words: Hepatitis B virus, vertical transmission, treatment, reproduction number