An eco-epidemiological model with prey-taxis and slow diffusion: Global existence, boundedness and novel dynamics

Abstract: In this manuscript, an attempt has been made to understand the effects of prey-taxis on the existence of global-in-time solutions and dynamics in an eco-epidemiological model, particularly under the influence of slow dispersal characterized by the $p$-Laplacian operator and enhanced mortality of the infected prey, subject to specific assumptions on the taxis sensitivity functions. We prove the global existence of classical solutions when the infected prey undergoes random motion and exhibits standard mortality. Under the assumption that the infected prey disperses slowly and exhibits enhanced mortality, we prove the global existence of weak solutions. Following a detailed mathematical investigation of the proposed model, we shift our focus to analyse the stability of the positive equilibrium point under the scenario where all species exhibit linear diffusion, the infected prey experiences standard mortality, and the predator exhibits taxis exclusively toward the infected prey. Within this framework, we establish the occurrence of a steady-state bifurcation. Numerical simulations are then carried out to observe this dynamical behavior. Our results have large scale applications to biological invasions and biological control of pests, under the prevalence of disease in the pest population.