MLST is crucial in epidemiology for several reasons: 1. High Discriminatory Power: It allows precise differentiation between strains, which is essential for tracking the spread of infectious diseases. 2. Reproducibility and Standardization: The method is highly reproducible and standardized, enabling comparison of data across different laboratories and studies. 3. Global Databases: The availability of comprehensive, publicly accessible databases facilitates the comparison and sharing of data worldwide, aiding in the identification of [outbreaks](), [transmission routes](), and [evolutionary relationships]().
