Minimal wave speed of a diffusive SIR epidemic model with nonlocal delay

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the minimal wave speed in a diffusive epidemic model with nonlocal delays. We define a threshold. By presenting the existence and the nonexistence of traveling wave solutions for all positive wave speed, we confirm that the threshold is the minimal wave speed of traveling wave solutions, which models that the infective invades the habitat of the susceptible. For some cases, it is proven that spatial nonlocality may increase the propagation threshold while time delay decreases the threshold.