Control Strategies for TB Epidemics

Expanding DOTS-- new strategies for TB control?

Improving epidemics control strategies by extended detection

Majority of epidemics eradication programs work in preventive responsive way. The lack of exact information about epidemiological status of individuals makes responsive actions less efficient. Here, we demonstrate that additional tests can significantly increase the efficiency of “blind” treatment (vaccination or culling). Eradication strategy consisting of “blind” treatment in very limited loc...

Optimal quarantine and isolation strategies in epidemics control∗

In the absence of valid medicines or vaccine, quarantine and isolation strategies are the most important and effective measures against the SARS outbreaks. This paper discusses the application of the optimal and sub-optimal control for SARS outbreak control via the Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle and genetic algorithm, respectively. To this end, a pair of control variables representing the quara...

Heightened Vulnerability to MDR-TB Epidemics after Controlling Drug-Susceptible TB

BACKGROUND Prior infection with one strain TB has been linked with diminished likelihood of re-infection by a new strain. This paper attempts to determine the role of declining prevalence of drug-susceptible TB in enabling future epidemics of MDR-TB. METHODS A computer simulation of MDR-TB epidemics was developed using an agent-based model platform programmed in NetLogo (See http://mdr.tbtool...

Optimal Intervention Strategies for a SEIR Control Model of Ebola Epidemics

A SEIR control model describing the Ebola epidemic in a population of a constant size is considered over a given time interval. It contains two intervention control functions reflecting efforts to protect susceptible individuals from infected and exposed individuals. For this model, the problem of minimizing the weighted sum of total fractions of infected and exposed individuals and total costs...