Gender-Specific Modeling for Lassa Virus Transmission with Hearing Loss Disability Risk and Control Strategies

This study examines the transmission with hearing loss disability risk of Lassa fever using a gender-spesific model based on nonlinear differential equations. The human population is divided into susceptible females, infected females, susceptible males, infected males, and recovered humans. Empirical data from LASV-endemic regions are employed for rigorous validation and parameter estimation, ensuring alignment with observed cases. The basic reproduction number \( R_0 \), obtained using the next-generation matrix approach, functions as a necessary limit to quantify outbreak prospects and evaluate control efficacy. Sensitivity analysis identifies dominant transmission drivers such as rodent-human contact rate. Analyzing optimal control techniques using Pontryagin's maximum principle, assess the impact of time-dependent interventions such as rodent population suppression and community-led hygiene education.