Parameters for the Mathematical Modelling of Clostridium Difficile Acquisition and Transmission: a Systematic Review

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2013 Dec 31

PMID 24376797

Citations 9

Authors

Eroboghene H Otete

Anand S Ahankari

Helen Jones

Kirsty J Bolton

Caroline W Jordan

Tim C Boswell

Mark H Wilcox

Neil M Ferguson

Charles R Beck

Richard L Puleston

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Mathematical modelling of Clostridium difficile infection dynamics could contribute to the optimisation of strategies for its prevention and control. The objective of this systematic review was to summarise the available literature specifically identifying the quantitative parameters required for a compartmental mathematical model of Clostridium difficile transmission.

Methods: Six electronic healthcare databases were searched and all screening, data extraction and study quality assessments were undertaken in duplicate. Results were synthesised using a narrative approach.

Results: Fifty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Reproduction numbers for hospital based epidemics were described in two studies with a range from 0.55 to 7. Two studies provided consistent data on incubation periods. For 62% of cases, symptoms occurred in less than 4 weeks (3-28 days) after infection. Evidence on contact patterns was identified in four studies but with limited data reported for populating a mathematical model. Two studies, including one without clinically apparent donor-recipient pairs, provided information on serial intervals for household or ward contacts, showing transmission intervals of <1 week in ward based contacts compared to up to 2 months for household contacts. Eight studies reported recovery rates of between 75%-100% for patients who had been treated with either metronidazole or vancomycin. Forty-nine studies gave recurrence rates of between 3% and 49% but were limited by varying definitions of recurrence. No study was found which specifically reported force of infection or net reproduction numbers.

Conclusions: There is currently scant literature overtly citing estimates of the parameters required to inform the quantitative modelling of Clostridium difficile transmission. Further high quality studies to investigate transmission parameters are required, including through review of published epidemiological studies where these quantitative estimates may not have been explicitly estimated, but that nonetheless contain the relevant data to allow their calculation.

Citing Articles

Infection Prevention and Control Strategies According to the Type of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria and in Intensive Care Units: A Pragmatic Resume including Pathogens R and a Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Fanelli C, Pistidda L, Terragni P, Pasero D Antibiotics (Basel). 2024; 13(8).

PMID: 39200090 PMC: 11351734. DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13080789.

Environmental DNA detects Spawning Habitat of an ephemeral migrant fish (Anadromous Rainbow Smelt: Osmerus mordax).

Holmes V, Aman J, York G, Kinnison M BMC Ecol Evol. 2022; 22(1):121.

PMID: 36280813 PMC: 9594880. DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02073-y.

Modelling Excess Mortality in Covid-19-Like Epidemics.

Burda Z Entropy (Basel). 2020; 22(11).

PMID: 33287004 PMC: 7712842. DOI: 10.3390/e22111236.

Modelling diverse sources of Clostridium difficile in the community: importance of animals, infants and asymptomatic carriers.

McLure A, Clements A, Kirk M, Glass K Epidemiol Infect. 2019; 147:e152.

PMID: 31063089 PMC: 6518831. DOI: 10.1017/S0950268819000384.

Modeling Clostridium difficile in a hospital setting: control and admissions of colonized and symptomatic patients.

Chamchod F, Palittapongarnpim P Theor Biol Med Model. 2019; 16(1):2.

PMID: 30704484 PMC: 6357410. DOI: 10.1186/s12976-019-0098-0.

References

Garey K, Jiang Z, Ghantoji S, Tam V, Arora V, DuPont H . A common polymorphism in the interleukin-8 gene promoter is associated with an increased risk for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. Clin Infect Dis. 2010; 51(12):1406-10. DOI: 10.1086/657398. View

Bilgrami S, Feingold J, Dorsky D, Edwards R, Bona R, Khan A . Incidence and outcome of Clostridium difficile infection following autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant. 1999; 23(10):1039-42. DOI: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1701773. View

Riggs M, Sethi A, Zabarsky T, Eckstein E, Jump R, Donskey C . Asymptomatic carriers are a potential source for transmission of epidemic and nonepidemic Clostridium difficile strains among long-term care facility residents. Clin Infect Dis. 2007; 45(8):992-8. DOI: 10.1086/521854. View

Kim J, Toy D, Muder R . Clostridium difficile infection in a long-term care facility: hospital-associated illness compared with long-term care-associated illness. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2011; 32(7):656-60. DOI: 10.1086/660767. View

Laffan A, Bellantoni M, Greenough 3rd W, Zenilman J . Burden of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in a long-term care facility. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2006; 54(7):1068-73. DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2006.00768.x. View

Gould L, Limbago B . Clostridium difficile in food and domestic animals: a new foodborne pathogen?. Clin Infect Dis. 2010; 51(5):577-82. DOI: 10.1086/655692. View

Bouza E, Padilla B, Catalan P, Sanchez-Carrillo C, Blazquez R, Pelaez T . [Diarrhea associated with Clostridium difficile: one-year experience in a general hospital]. Rev Clin Esp. 1996; 196(7):424-30. View

Armbruster S, Goldkind L . A 5-year retrospective review of experience with Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. Mil Med. 2012; 177(4):456-9. DOI: 10.7205/milmed-d-11-00389. View

Kyne L, Merry C, OConnell B, Harrington P, Keane C, ONeill D . Simultaneous outbreaks of two strains of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in a general hospital. J Hosp Infect. 1998; 38(2):101-12. DOI: 10.1016/s0195-6701(98)90063-9. View

10.

Choi H, Kim K, Lee S, Lee S . Risk factors for recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection: effect of vancomycin-resistant enterococci colonization. J Korean Med Sci. 2011; 26(7):859-64. PMC: 3124713. DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2011.26.7.859. View

11.

Wilcox M, Mooney L, Bendall R, Settle C, Fawley W . A case-control study of community-associated Clostridium difficile infection. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2008; 62(2):388-96. DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkn163. View

12.

Peterson L, Robicsek A . Does my patient have Clostridium difficile infection?. Ann Intern Med. 2009; 151(3):176-9. DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-151-3-200908040-00005. View

13.

Linsky A, Gupta K, Lawler E, Fonda J, Hermos J . Proton pump inhibitors and risk for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. Arch Intern Med. 2010; 170(9):772-8. DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.73. View

14.

Walker A, Eyre D, Wyllie D, Dingle K, Harding R, OConnor L . Characterisation of Clostridium difficile hospital ward-based transmission using extensive epidemiological data and molecular typing. PLoS Med. 2012; 9(2):e1001172. PMC: 3274560. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001172. View

15.

Pawar D, Tsay R, Nelson D, Elumalai M, Lessa F, McDonald L . Burden of Clostridium difficile infection in long-term care facilities in Monroe County, New York. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2012; 33(11):1107-12. DOI: 10.1086/668031. View

16.

Waggoner S, Barter J, Delgado G, Barnes W . Case-control analysis of clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea on a gynecologic oncology service. Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol. 1994; 2(4):154-61. PMC: 2364387. DOI: 10.1155/S1064744994000578. View

17.

Singer D, Cashore W, Widness J, Campognone P, Hillemeier C . Pseudomembranous colitis in a preterm neonate. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1986; 5(2):318-20. View

18.

Munoz P, Giannella M, Alcala L, Sarmiento E, Fernandez Yanez J, Palomo J . Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in heart transplant recipients: is hypogammaglobulinemia the answer?. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2007; 26(9):907-14. DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2007.07.010. View

19.

Aronsson B, Barany P, Nord C, Nystrom B, Stenvinkel P . Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea in uremic patients. Eur J Clin Microbiol. 1987; 6(3):352-6. DOI: 10.1007/BF02017639. View

20.

Vesteinsdottir I, Gudlaugsdottir S, Einarsdottir R, Kalaitzakis E, Sigurdardottir O, Bjornsson E . Risk factors for Clostridium difficile toxin-positive diarrhea: a population-based prospective case-control study. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2012; 31(10):2601-10. DOI: 10.1007/s10096-012-1603-0. View