Stability switches in a host-pathogen model as the length of a time delay increases

The destabilising effects of a time delay in mathematical models are well known. However, delays are not necessarily destabilising. In this paper, we explore an example of a biological system where a time delay can be both stabilising and destabilising. This example is a host-pathogen model, incorporating density-dependent prophylaxis (DDP). DDP describes when individual hosts invest more in immunity when population densities are high, due to the increased risk of infection in crowded conditions. In this system, as the delay length increases, there are a finite number of switches between stable and unstable behaviour. These stability switches are demonstrated and characterised using a combination of numerical methods and analysis.