Compartmental Mathematical Model with Optimal Control: Can awareness against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus prevent its transmission?

Abstract The number of Methicillin Resistance Staphylococcus aureus cases in community and hospitals is on the rise worldwide. Hence, the study aimed to analyze transmission interventions and control strategies that could be used to prevent transmission in this manner. In this regard, compartmental mathematical model was used with and without an optimal control to visualize the effectiveness of awareness in interventions that could be applied in the prevention of transmission. A total of seven years of data gathered from hospital consisting of inpatients and outpatients of MRSA were used in this model. The results suggested that the number of cases of the four compartments: Community-acquired (CA) Staphylococcus aureus , CA Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Hospital-acquired (HA) Staphylococcus aureus , HA-MRSA in the designed mathematical model without the control were on an increasing trend. When optimal control was applied as a second model, it was determined that increasing awareness of hand hygiene and wearing a mask were the key controlling measures to prevent the spread of CA-MRSA and HA- MRSA. Lastly, it is concluded that both CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA cases are on the rise and increasing awareness in regard to transmission is significant in preventing further spread.