Inference and control of the nosocomial transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Pei, Sen; Morone, Flaviano; Liljeros, Fredrik; Makse, Hernán; Shaman, Jeffrey L

We note that the reported inference results are obtained using only hospitalization records and UK EMRSA-15 case numbers. Should more data (e.g. surgery or treatment records) become available, this additional information could be incorporated into the agent-based model and used to refine the present results. Our model-inference framework provides a foundational platform for flexible simulation and inference of antibiotic resistant pathogens. In this study, we applied this system to Swedish hospitals with low MRSA prevalence. However, in the future, it could be used to provide actionable information for disease control in less developed settings where MRSA is endemic. In a highly interconnected area, transmission of antibiotic resistant pathogens from endemic regions to epidemic-free hospitals is more likely. This risk calls for containment measures in the general population and collaborative control efforts among multiple healthcare facilities (Smith et al., 2005; D'Agata et al., 2009; Ciccolini et al., 2014; Slayton et al., 2015) .