Mathematical models to study the outbreaks of Ebola
Using S-I-R and S-E-I-R models, it was possible to simulate two Ebola outbreaks: the 1976 outbreak in Yambuku, Zaire and the 1995 outbreak in Kikwit, Zaire. The dynamics of these models are determined by the per-capita death rate of infected individuals and the per-capita effective contact rate of an individual contracting the disease. The basic reproductive number, R0 , determines the infectiousness of the disease. For Ebola, 1.72 ≤ R0 ≤ 8.60, and this implies that Ebola is not as infectious as previously postulated. The results of these outbreak simulations will equip scientists in future outbreaks with information that may enable them to minimize potential deaths.