Optimizing Lassa Fever Management using a community pathogen load modeling approach
Madueme, P.-G. U.; Chirove, F.
Show abstract
Lassa Fever control remains a daunting task for authorities in poorly resourced settings where the costs of implementing the control strategies remain high as the disease has multiple hosts and environmental spread. An important metric based on community pathogen load may be useful in estimating the level of control over all in the community in order to budget for the costs of control effectively. We developed a model that accounts for the community contribution of Lassa viral load in humans, rodents as well as the environment accounting for Community Pathogen Load incorporating three control strategies. The model was calibrated and fitted to the Nigerian data and optimized to establish the most cost-effective strategy using cost-effective analysis. Our results suggested that targeting the human community pathogen load remains an important control focus but the control of rodent contribution was equally important. Overall, the combination of three control strategies was the best control measure that is cost-effective for curbing Lassa fever in the population.
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