Bifurcation analysis of an SIS epidemic model with a generalized non-monotonic and saturated incidence rate

Abstract

In this paper, a new generalized non-monotonic and saturated incidence rate was introduced into a susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) epidemic model to account for inhibitory effect and crowding effect. The dynamic properties of the model were studied by qualitative theory and bifurcation theory. It is shown that when the influence of psychological factors is large, the model has only disease-free equilibrium point, and this disease-free equilibrium point is globally asymptotically stable; when the influence of psychological factors is small, for some parameter conditions, the model has a unique endemic equilibrium point, which is a cusp point of co-dimension two, and for other parameter conditions the model has two endemic equilibrium points, one of which could be weak focus or center. In addition, the results of the model undergoing saddle-node bifurcation, Hopf bifurcation and Bogdanov–Takens bifurcation as the parameters vary were also proved. These results shed light on the impact of psychological behavior of susceptible people on the disease transmission.