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Epidemiological Model For Clostridium Difficile Transmission In Healthcare Settings, Cristina Lanzas, Erik Dubberke, Zhao Lu, Kim Reske, Yrjo Grohn

Cristina Lanzas

Objective. Recent outbreaks of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) have been difficult to control, and data indicate that the importance of different sources of transmission may have changed. Our objectives were to evaluate the contributions of asymptomatic and symptomatic C. difficile carriers to new colonizations and to determine the most important epidemiological factors influencing C. difficile transmission. Design, setting, and patients. Retrospective cohort study of all patients admitted to medical wards at a large tertiary care hospital in the United States in the calendar year 2008. Methods. Data from six medical wards and published literature were used to develop a compartmental …