Unveiling the link between cholera transmission and plankton: A mathematical modeling perspective

This work presents a cholera disease transmission model within the human population, mainly focusing on the consumption of zooplankton as a food source. The plankton population comprises two subgroups: phytoplankton and zooplankton, while the human population is divided into susceptible and infected subgroups. In our study, various equilibrium points are identified and an analysis of local stability and global sensitivity analysis are carried out. Transmission rate of cholera disease plays a crucial role to stabilize the system. Further, we incorporate a time delay to account for the period it takes a susceptible individual to develop the disease after being infected through contact with an infective individual. At the coexistence equilibrium point, Hopf bifurcation has been explored, employing the normal form method and center manifold theorem to assess its characteristics. Numerical simulations are conducted to improve the understanding of our proposed system.