Coevolution: Mathematical analysis of host-parasite interactions (Q790757)

A ''susceptible-infected-susceptible'' epidemic transmitted by two similar strains of parasites acting on a host population of three genotypes, which differ in their reaction to the disease, is modelled. The size of the total population is not assumed to be constant, which is a different assumption than in standard epidemic models. Singular perturbation techniques are used to reduce this system of nine equations to a system of two equations - one equation describing the presence of one of the genes in the host population and the other equation describing the proportion of infection due to one of the parasite populations. The solutions of the full system approach the two- dimensional manifold described by the two equations system and move along this manifold in a direction determined by the epidemic parameters. Several examples are given to demonstrate the range of behaviors of this system.