title: Optimal control applied to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in hospitals.
abstract: Optimal control methods are applied to a deterministic mathematical model to characterize the factors contributing to the replacement of hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) with community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), and quantify the effectiveness of three interventions aimed at limiting the spread of CA-MRSA in healthcare settings. Characterizations of the optimal control strategies are established, and numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the results.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Mathematical Sciences and Computational Science Program , Middle Tennessee State University , Murfreesboro , USA.
authors.forename: Wandi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: b Department of Mathematics , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , USA.
authors.forename: Glenn F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Webb
mesh_terms: D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D008954:Models, Biological
keywords: 49K15; 92B05; 92D30; MRSA; Optimal control; decolonization; screening