Mathematical analysis of Mycoplasma Genitalium transmission dynamics: A compartmental model with nonlinear interactions and treatment effects

Due to the increasing resistance to drug treatment among individuals infected with Mycoplasma Genitalium, it is essential to incorporate this factor into its mathematical modelling with a view to gaining insights into how to effectively combat the spread of the disease. To this extent, consequently, in this study, we developed a deterministic mathematical model that considers two strains of the disease: the drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains. The analysis of the treatment model revealed that its disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable when a certain epidemiological threshold (R0t)is less than one, indicating disease control. However, when this threshold exceeds one, R0t>1, the model exhibits two co-existing endemic equilibria, and competitive exclusion occurs if the reproduction number of the drug-resistant strain is higher than that of the drug-sensitive strain. In contrast, the model without treatment shows infinitely many endemic equilibria when the epidemiological threshold exceeds one. Furthermore, it was discovered that widespread use of antibiotics to treat the wild strain of the disease can eliminate it from the community if the reduction in infectiousness does not exceed a certain value. Sensitivity analysis of the model helped identified key parameters influencing the disease transmission dynamics, which were supported by numerical simulations. Based on our findings, we recommend effective strategies to policymakers in the healthcare sector for combating the spread of M. Genitalium and mitigating its burden.