Table 1.

List of parameters for MRSA transmission in hospital settings

Description	Symbol	Value	References
Total number of patients	Np	600
Total number of HCWs	Nh	150
(Patients: HCWs = 3:1)			[19]
Probability that a person is colonized by MRSA at admission	λc	0.04	[24]
Probability that a person is infected with MRSA at admission	λi	0.001	[25]
Average length of stay of an uncolonized patient (days)	1/γu	5	[24]
Average length of stay of a colonized patient (days)	1/κ	7	[20]
Probability of becoming infectious	m1	0.3	[23]
Probability of decolonization	m2	0.01	estimated∗
Rate of progression from colonization to infection	ϕ	m1κ
Rate of decolonization	ω	m2κ
Discharge rate of colonized patients	γc	(1 − m1 − m2)κ
(including death from other causes)
Average duration of treatment of an infected patient (days)	1/τ	14	[1]
Probability of a successful treatment	ρ	0.6	[26]
Death rate of an infected patient	γi	(1−ρ)τ
(from both disease-related and other causes)
Total number of contacts that a patient requires per day	a	8	[19]
Probability of colonization after a contact with a HCW	bp	0.01	[27]
Probability of contamination after a contact with a colonized patient	bhc	0.15	[27]
Probability of contamination after a contact with an infected patient	bhi	0.30	estimated
Average duration of contamination (days)	1/μ	1/24	[27]

^*Note that the probability of decolonization of a colonized patient is estimated by the normal time require for nasal MRSA to revert to the usual MSSA (methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus) which is approximately 30 days [28]. Hence, we here estimate the probability of decolonization by probability that a patient stays longer than thirty days [29].