Category of Work

Presentation

Title of Conference/Lecture Series

2025 MAA MathFest

Abstract

Clostridioides difficile, also known as C.difficile, is a prevalent cause of infectious diarrhea in United States healthcare facilities. Spread through the fecal-oral route and primarily through contact with spores on contaminated surfaces, C. difficile can cause severe diarrhea, stomach pain, and colitis. Most individuals can mount an effective immune response, but older populations, immunocompromised individuals, and those taking antibiotics have an increased risk of being colonized by C. difficile. While extensive research has been conducted in hospital-based settings to improve understanding of the transmission of this bacteria, few studies apply mathematical models in the context of long-term care facilities. Residents in these settings require care from staff for many activities of daily living, and often have a more social and active environment than in hospitals since residents may stay in their private rooms or visit common areas, especially during meal times.

This talk will focus on two mathematical models aimed at quantifying the transmission of C. difficile in long-term care facilities. Our work, completed in collaboration with undergraduate student researchers, introduces a system of ordinary differential equations and an agent-based model to represent C. difficile transmission dynamics in long-term care facilities, with their interactive nature and high-risk factors. We used data from the Emerging Infections Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for parameter estimations and performed sensitivity analyses to quantify the impact of varying these parameters on incidence. Mitigation strategies such as frequent disinfection, increased handwashing compliance, and a lower ratio between residents and healthcare workers had the greatest impact on reducing the incidence of colonization with C. difficile in these facilities.

Presentation Date

Summer 8-9-2025

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