title: Understanding the spread of antibiotic resistant pathogens in hospitals: mathematical models as tools for control.
abstract: As microorganisms become more resistant to antimicrobial agents, effective infection control measures will become increasingly important. However, despite multiple studies on infection prevention, few data exist on the quantitative effects of the individual aspects of infection control strategies. The combination of epidemiologic surveillance, molecular genotyping, observational studies on compliance, and mathematical modeling may improve our ability to determine the quantitative effects of individual infection control measures. This may help to design more effective infection control programs. In this study, we review several of the models that have been published and speculate on the usefulness of mathematical modeling for improving the prevention of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases & AIDS, and Eijkman-Winkler Institute for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Inflammation, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. m.j.m.bonten@digd.azu.nl
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bonten
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lipsitch
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008433:Mathematics; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents