Abstract:
Exploring the Effects of Wolbachia-infected Mosquitoes on the Spread of the Zika Virus
by Vincent Ferguson
Recent efforts to stop the spread of Zika, a vector-borne disease, through pesticides and insecticides have not been successful. Research has shown that Zika can be spread via the Aedes aegypti mosquito and human sexual contact. We examine how the use of Wolbachia as a form of control can reduce the transmission rate between infectious mosquitoes and susceptible humans. Through analysis of our mathematical model, we find the reproductive number of Zika before and after including Wolbachia into our calculations. With this model, we are able to run simulations to show how fast Zika can spread in a population. Using local sensitivity analysis, we study how changes in different parameter values affect the reproductive number.