Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Linking Environmental Variability To Village-Scale Malaria Transmission Using A Simple Immunity Model, Teresa K. Yamana, Arne Bomblies, Ibrahim M. Laminou, Jean Bernard Duchemin, Elfatih A.B. Eltahir

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Individuals continuously exposed to malaria gradually acquire immunity that protects from severe disease and high levels of parasitization. Acquired immunity has been incorporated into numerous models of malaria transmission of varying levels of complexity (e.g. Bull World Health Organ 50:347, 1974; Am J Trop Med Hyg 75:19, 2006; Math Biosci 90:385-396, 1988). Most such models require prescribing inputs of mosquito biting rates or other entomological or epidemiological information. Here, we present a model with a novel structure that uses environmental controls of mosquito population dynamics to simulate the mosquito biting rates, malaria prevalence as well as variability in protective …