Fig. 1

Schematic representation of the compartmental flow of a mathematical model of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) acquisition in an intensive care unit. Solid arrows indicate possible transition states, while dashed lines indicate the potential routes of MRSA colonization/contamination. Healthcare workers are classified as uncontaminated (S) or contaminated (H), while patients are classified as uncolonized (U) or colonized (C). Greek characters represent the parameters governing each transition