MLE is crucial in epidemiology for several reasons:
1. Parameter Estimation: It helps in accurately estimating disease transmission parameters, which are vital for understanding the dynamics of disease spread. 2. Model Fitting: MLE provides a way to fit complex epidemiological models to observed data, improving the accuracy of predictions. 3. Hypothesis Testing: It allows for statistical hypothesis testing to determine the significance of different model parameters. 4. Uncertainty Quantification: MLE can be used to quantify the uncertainty associated with parameter estimates, which is important for risk assessment and decision-making.
