Sleeping sickness: An agent-based model approach

• DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2021.126282
• Publication Date: 2021-07-21T23:03:49Z
• Authors: Matheus M.G. Correia; João V.M. Barboza; Aquino L. Espíndola
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences; 3. Good health

Abstract In this work we study the transmission of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (Tbg), which causes the Human African Trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness disease, very common in African rural areas. Simulations were implemented using agent-based modeling approach, where agents were split into three groups: humans, animals and flies. Humans and animals are the reservoirs for the trypanosoma and the interaction between them (transmission of the pathogen), depends exclusively on the third group, the disease vector, the tsetse fly. We applied a type of treatment based on the drug Fexinidazole in different percentages for the human population, aiming the optimization of treatment resources to minimize costs and maximize the efficacy of this new drug in rural zones of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Simulations of different scenarios show that the disease eradication is possible depending on the available resources (medication, health team) to be used.