The analysis and application of an HBV model

A mathematical model is formulated to describe the spread of hepatitis B. The stability of equilibria and persistence of disease are analyzed. The results shows that the dynamics of the model is completely determined by the basic reproductive number rho(0). If rho(0) < 1, the disease-free equilibrium is globally stable. When rho(0) > 1, the disease-free equilibrium is unstable and the disease is uniformly persistent. Furthermore, under certain conditions, it is proved that the endemic equilibrium is globally attractive. Numerical simulations are conducted to demonstrate our theoretical results. The model is applied to HBV transmission in China. The parameter values of the model are estimated based on available HBV epidemic data in China. The simulation results matches the HBV epidemic data in China approximately. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.