Supplement to 'Controlling methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus : Quantifying the effects of interventions and rapid diagnostic testing'

Abstract

The one-hospital model as presented here, allows us to characterize analytically (and next calculate numerically) the maximum R0 value that can be reduced to <_1 by a specified (combination of) intervention method(s). Furthermore, this model serves as an independent method to check the result of the simulation model in the main article. Any R0 calculation should be based on the situation when the infectious agent is hardly present and the infectivity of infectious individuals is not reduced because of waste of possible infectious contacts with individuals who are already infected. In this analysis we assume that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is very rare.