Bifurcation and optimal control for an infectious disease model with the impact of information

Abstract

A nonlinear infectious disease model with information-influenced vaccination behavior and contact patterns is proposed in this paper, and the impact of information related to disease prevalence on increasing vaccination coverage and reducing disease incidence during the outbreak is considered. First, we perform the analysis for the existence of equilibria and the stability properties of the proposed model. In particular, the geometric approach is used to obtain the sufficient condition which guarantees the global asymptotic stability of the unique endemic equilibrium [Formula: see text] when the basic reproduction number [Formula: see text]. Second, mathematical derivation combined with numerical simulation shows the existence of the double Hopf bifurcation around [Formula: see text]. Third, based on the numerical results, it is shown that the information coverage and the average information delay may lead to more complex dynamical behaviors. Finally, the optimal control problem is established with information-influenced vaccination and treatment as control variables. The corresponding optimal paths are obtained analytically by using Pontryagin’s maximum principle, and the applicability and validity of virous intervention strategies for the proposed controls are presented by numerical experiments.