Existence of periodic solutions for periodic eco-epidemic models with disease in the prey (Q2396875)

The author considers the periodic version of the non-autonomous eco-epidemiological model \[ S' = \Lambda(t) - \beta(t)SI -\mu(t)S \] \[ I' = \beta(t)SI -c(t)I -\eta(t)YI \] \[ Y' = Y\left(r(t)-b(t)Y+k(t)\eta(t)\right) \] introduced in [\textit{X. Niu} et al., Appl. Math. Modelling 35, No. 1, 457--470 (2011; Zbl 1202.34098)] with the objective of proving a conjecture stated in the same work. The conjecture claims existence of a positive periodic solution which is globally attractive in the interior of the first octant under assumption that the parameter functions are continuous \(\omega\)-periodic on \(\mathbb{R}_0^{+}\) (with all but \(r\) being non-negative and all but \(r\), \(\eta\), and \(c\) having positive averages) and if \(\mathcal{R}_0> 1\), where \[ \mathcal{R}_0 =\frac{\overline{\beta s_0}}{\overline{c}+\overline{\eta y_0}} \] and \(s_0\) and \(y_0\) are the unique positive periodic solutions of \[ s' = \Lambda(t)-\mu(t)s, \] \[ y' = y\left(r(t)-b(t)y\right). \] The existence is proved under slightly stronger conditions by a clever use of Mawhin's continuation theorem [\textit{R. E. Gaines} and \textit{J. L. Mawhin}, Coincidence degree, and nonlinear differential equations. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer-Verlag (1977; Zbl 0339.47031)]. The discussion of the stability of the disease-free orbit relies on the theory developed in [\textit{W. Wang} and \textit{X.-Q. Zhao}, J. Dyn. Differ. Equations 20, No. 3, 699--717 (2008; Zbl 1157.34041)].