Spatial Patterns of Propagating Waves of Fox Rabies

Shigeo Yachi¹, Kohkichi Kawasaki², Nanako Shigesada¹ and Ei Teramoto³

¹Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606, Japan
²Science and Engineering Research Institute, Doshisha University, Kyoto 602, Japan
³Faculty of Science and Technology, Ryukoku University, Otsu-city 520-21, Japan

(Received June 19, 1989; Accepted July 3, 1989)

Keywords: Epidemics, Rabies, Diffusion, Traveling Wave, Chaos

Abstract. Spatial spreading of fox rabies is studied on the basis of the Anderson et al. model which is extended to include dispersal terms. The pattern of a traveling propagating wave and the speed of its front are analyzed by both the linearization method and numerical calculations. When the fox density is very high, the propagating wave shows a spatially irregular pattern, a new feature emerging from the effect of spatial dispersal.