Optimal impulse control of West Nile virus

Abstract

We construct a West Nile virus epidemic model that includes the interaction between the bird hosts and mosquito vectors, mosquito life stages (eggs, larvae, adults), and the dynamics of both larvicide and adulticide. We derive the basic reproduction number for the epidemic as the spectral radius of the next generation matrix. We formulate two impulsive optimal control problems which seek to balance the cost of insecticide applications (both the timing and application level) with the benefit of (1) vector control: reducing the number of mosquitoes or (2) disease control: reducing the disease burden. We reformulate these impulsive optimal control problems as nonlinear optimization problems and derive associated necessary conditions for the optimal controls. Numerical simulations are used to address three questions: How does the control and its impact on the system vary with the objective type? Is it beneficial to optimize the treatment timing? How does the control and its impact on the population vary with the type of pesticide used?

Keywords

• impulsive optimal control
• west nile virus