According to research by Thomas Obadia and colleagues published in PLOS Computational Biology, wireless sensors recording human interactions reveal close proximity interactions between patient and healthcare workers in Berck-sur-Mer hospital, France, acted as pathways for the transmission of S. aureus strains, according to a release.
Researchers analyzed 85,025 daily interactions measured in 30 second intervals between 590 participants over four months. Results show the study of persons' contact may help identify increased risk of transmission situations and, in the long run, reduce the burden of noscomonial S. aureus transmissions.
"In this unique experiment, the joint analysis of contact and carriage validates the use of close-proximity interactions recorded by electronic devices, and opens a new field for prevention measures in hospitals," said researchers in a press statement.
The full study can be found here.
