Category: Blog

Mathematical models allow us to extrapolate from current information about the state and progress of an outbreak, to predict the future and, most importantly, to quantify the uncertainty in these predictions. Many sources of data are used in mathematical modeling, with some forms of model requiring vastly more data than others. However, a good estimation of the number of cases is vitally important. We stretch existing knowledge on model formulation and develop an enhanced mathematical model to study the pattern of spread of infectious diseases. The SIR model formalism was used to compartmentalize the population and the resulting model equations were solved numerically. The disease free equilibrium and endemic equilibrium of the system were established and analyzed for stability. A graph representation of the sub groups is presented and discussed based on the results from simulation.

In many countries of the developed World, infectious diseases of the childhood in particular have been generally conquered. This however, is far from being the case in developing countries, where they are responsible for 45% of all death. Coming down home, the data of infectious disease prepared by the Department of Health Planning and Research, Federal Ministry of Health at our disposal shows the same trend in Rivers State.
A mathematical model is a set of equations, which are the mathematical translation of hypothesis (or assumptions) when interpreting model prediction. It is thus important to bear in mind the underlying assumptions. An assumption, by our definition, is an unverified proposition, tentatively accepted to explain certain facts or to provide a basis for further investigation.
Following analysis, modeling infectious diseases demands that we investigate whether the disease spread could attain a pandemic level or it could be wiped out. The equilibrium analysis helps to achieve this.

Fixed point theory occupies a prominent place in the study of metric spaces. One of the important questions that may arise in this connection is whether metric spaces really provide enough space for this theory or not. Recently, in Huang and Zhang (2007), the authors rather implied that the answer is no. Actually, they introduced the notion of cone metric space, and gave an example of a function which is a contraction in the category of cone metric spaces but not a contraction if considered over metric spaces and hence, by proving a fixed point theorem in cone metric spaces, ensured that this map must have a unique fixed point. After that a series of articles about cone metric spaces started to appear. Some of those articles dealt with fixed point theorems in those spaces, specially in complete ones, and others dealt with the structure of the spaces themselves.
On the other hand Cone metric spaces were introduced in Huang and Zhang (2007). The authors there described convergence in cone metric spaces, and introduced completeness. Then they proved some fixed point theorems of contractive mappings on cone metric spaces, where they also provided an example of a contractive mapping on a cone metric space with E = R2 and P = (x, y) ∈ R2: x, y ≥ 0. However this mapping is not contractive in the Euclidean metric space. Then recently, in (Ili and Rako, 2008; Abbas, and Jungck, 2008) some common fixed point theorems were proved for maps on cone metric spaces. In this paper we introduce some basic topological concepts and definitions in cone metric spaces. Actually, we prove that every cone metric space is a topological space. Then we generalize the concepts diametrical contractivity and asymptotical diametrical contractivity to cone metric spaces. Finally we obtain some fixed point theorems for such mappings. By this we generalize some results from Xu(2004) to cone metric spaces.

Herbs are those plants that are used either as a food or for treating diseases. There are several herbs that we use on daily basis in our kitchen which are very helpful to maintain a good health. Let me inform you some of them.

Ferula Asafoetida: It is the member of Apiaceae, commonly known as Hing, have very unpleasant smell but this oleo-resin gum is carminative, antispasmodic, stimulant, digestive, sedative, expectorant and diuretic. It is helpful in treating flatulent colic, dyspepsia, asthama, hysteria, and cholera.

Curcuma Longa: The member of family Zingiberaceae, commonly known as Haldi or turmeric. Its rhizome is aromatic, stimulant, anti-periodic, tonic, and carminative. It is given in diarrhoea, dropsy, jaundice, liver disorder, and urinary troubles. It is commonly used for cleaning foul ulcers. Fresh juice is used for many skin infections.

Zingiber Officinale: Member of family Zingiberaceae, commonly known as Adrak or Ginger. Its rhizome is used as stimulant, carminative, and flavouring agent. It is given in dyspepsia and flatulent colic. It makes valuable drugs for disorders of digestive systems, rheumatism, piles, pulmonary disease, dropsy etc.

Cinnamomum Zeylanicum: Member of family Lauraceae, commonly known as Dalchini or Cinnamon. Its bark is given in diarrhoea, nausea, gastric irritation, flatulence, vomiting, spasmodic affection of bowels, tooth ache, paralysis of tongue, and labour caused by defective utring contraction.

Cuminum Cyminum: Member of family Umbelliferae, commonly known as Zeera or Cumin. Its fruit is a good source of thymol. It is prescribed in dyspepsia, diarrhoea, and hoarseness of voice. The fruit is given with lime juice to pregnant women for checking nausea and for promoting secretion of milk, cumin seeds are given after child birth.

Foeniculum Vulgare: Member of family Umbelliferae, commonly known as Saunf or Fennel. Its fruit is sweet, laxative, stomachic, stimulant, aromatic, corrective of flatulence, appetizer, and carminative. It is used in curing burning sensation, fever, excessive thirst, dysentery, chest diseases, and headache.

What is dengue?
Dengue is a viral infection which is transmitted by biting of an infected female Aedes mosquito. There are four distinct serotypes of the dengue virus (DEN 1, DEN 2, DEN 3 and DEN 4). Symptoms appear in 3–14 days (average 4–7 days) after the infective bite. Dengue fever is a flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults.
There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. Severe dengue is a potentially lethal complication but early clinical diagnosis and careful clinical management by experienced physicians can save the life.
How severe dengue is in india?

Dengue was a serious epidemic only in 9 countries before 1970 but now it is endemic in more than 100 countries. Africa ,asia, latin America, united states and Europe…. Dengue has spread two fifth of the global population.
With 19,704 cases reported till September 6, the Dengue cases in the country have already doubled this year. In 2014, the number of dengue cases stood at 10,097, with 37 deaths, through the year. This year, however, 41 people had died.
With 1,259 cases reported so far, Delhi topped the list of cities with the most cases. However, Arunachal’s East Siang district with 1,618 cases (the state has reported 1,681 cases) was the district with highest number of cases, followed by Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh with 761 cases, Thiruvananthapuram (602 cases) and Kasargod (443 cases) in Kerala, respectively. Among cities, Bengaluru reported 1,139 cases, Greater Mumbai reported 306 cases and Kolkata saw 187 cases.The mosquito-borne sickness causes pain so agonising it is also known as “breakbone disease” and last year saw China’s worst outbreak in two decades, with more than 47,000 cases, almost all in Guangdong province
What is dengue mosquito net?
A team of scientists has been driving around a small island in Guaaid Xi Zhiyong of Michigan State University, who heads the ngzhou, southern China, releasing more than half a million mosquitoes from plastic pots on board trucks.this is one of several innovative attempts to tackle dengue fever by diluting the mosquito population with insects that don’t carry this disease..
Xi and his colleagues have worked on this.They released mosquitoes infected with wolbachia bacteria, which make the males sterile and limit the insects’ ability to carry dengue.
Last year’s outbreak has helped persuade residents to embrace the pilot scheme, as has Xi’s willingness to plunge his hand into mosquito pots to prove that the males they are releasing do not bite. And while the Chinese government has not approved the release of genetically modified creatures, it accepted this trial because wolbachia occurs naturally in many insects.
In the first phase, the team aims to reduce the mosquito population, as sterile males breed with wild females. In the second,very fewwolbachia-infected females were released to replace the wild, dengue-transmitting population.
More than half a million specially bred male mosquitoes are being released on an island in southern China every week to fight dengue fever.
The mosquitoes produced at a science park “factory” in Guangdong province can make their female mating partners infertile.
In such a way these Scientists have managed to reduce the number of mosquitoes in some areas of the island by more than 90 percent,
The mosquito “factory” was opened on July 17 and this factory can produce 10 million male mosquitoes every week that are infected with wolbachia, a bacteria that exists widely in many insects, including mosquitoes.
Research shows that eggs produced by mosquitoes that mated with wolbachia-infected male counterparts are infertile.
This will cause a decrease in the number of mosquitoes living in the wild after a certain period.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 mosquitoes are produced every week at the factory and released.
Male mosquitoes released on the island will survive for about two weeks, and their reproduction capacity reaches its peak within the first few days of release.
As a result, the male mosquitoes need to be released on the island continuously to suppress the numbers in the area.
The mosquitoes－only the female bites－are usually released in places with lush plantation, where they are most active.
Conclusion
A team of indian scientist has gone to china to research about this transgenic mosquito and if they found it harmless and effective ,than we may employ the same technique in india also to get rid of dengue.