Evaluating a transfer gradient assumption in a fomite-mediated microbial transmission model using an experimental and Bayesian approach.

ABSTRACT: Current microbial exposure models assume that microbial exchange follows a concentration gradient during hand-to-surface contacts. Our objectives were to evaluate this assumption using transfer efficiency experiments and to evaluate a model's ability to explain concentration changes using approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) on these experimental data. Experiments were conducted with two phages (MS2, ΦX174) simultaneously to study bidirectional transfer. Concentrations on the fingertip and surface were quantified before and after fingertip-to-surface contacts. Prior distributions for surface and fingertip swabbing efficiencies and transfer efficiency were used to estimate concentrations on the fingertip and surface post contact. To inform posterior distributions, Euclidean distanc

SUBMITTER: Wilson AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7328381 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature