Malaria transmission model for different levels of acquired immunity and temperature-dependent parameters (vector)

Objective Describe the overall transmission of malaria through a compartmental model, considering the human host and mosquito vector. Methods A mathematical model was developed based on the following parameters: human host immunity, assuming the existence of acquired immunity and immunological memory, which boosts the protective response upon reinfection; mosquito vector, taking into account that the average period of development from egg to adult mosquito and the extrinsic incubation period of parasites (transformation of infected but noninfectious mosquitoes into infectious mosquitoes) are dependent on the ambient temperature. Results The steady state equilibrium values obtained with the model allowed the calculation of the basic reproduction ratio in terms of the model's parameters. Conclusions The model allowed the calculation of the basic reproduction ratio, one of the most important epidemiological variables.