Mathematical model of Zika virus transmission and control measures

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus capable of infecting humans through mosquito bites as well as through sexual contact between humans. ZIKV mitigation has traditionally focused on the reduction of the presence and abundance of mosquitoes. As the mosquitoes adapt to pesticides,  the use of personal preventive measures  will have to play a crucial role in controlling the spread of ZIKV. To evaluate different kinds of preventions, we consider a new mathematical model for ZIKV dynamics that incorporates four control measures, including two separate prevention measures, one for mosquito bite prevention and one for sexual transmission prevention. We study the model both analytically and numerically.  We show  that the mosquito bite control measure is more important for disease elimination and mitigation than the sexual transmission prevention.