Epidemic spreading and global stability of a new SIS model with delay on heterogeneous networks

In this paper, we study a susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model with time delay on complex heterogeneous networks. Here, the delay describes the incubation period in the vector population. We calculate the epidemic threshold by using a Lyapunov functional and some analytical methods, and find that adding delay increases the epidemic threshold. Then, we prove the global stability of disease-free and endemic equilibria by using the theory of functional differential equations. Furthermore, we show numerically that the epidemic threshold of the new model may change along with other factors, such as the infectivity function, the heterogeneity of the network, and the degrees of nodes. Finally, we find numerically that the delay can affect the convergence speed at which the disease reaches equilibria.