Assessing the potential of pre-exposure vaccination and chemoprophylaxis in the control of lymphatic filariasis

An epidemiological model to assess the potential impact of pre-exposure vaccines and other intervention strategies on lymphatic filariasis is proposed and investigated. The threshold parameter of the model is computed and rigorously analysed. Results from model analysis suggests that vaccination at birth and pre-exposure vaccination will aid in reducing lymphatic filariasis disease burden. However, results further suggest that chemoprophylaxis or mosquito spraying alone may be able to keep lymphatic filariasis infections in check. Numerical simulations also show that treatment alone will not be able control the spread of lymphatic filariasis. Furthermore, results from numerical simulations suggest that treatment for the sick in addition to chemoprophylaxis for the exposed may be able to effectively control the spread of lymphatic filariasis.