INCORPORATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING IN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL MICROBIOLOGY

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) into epidemiological microbiology represents a transformative paradigm shift in how we understand, predict, and respond to microbial threats to public health. This chapter provides a comprehensive examination of current applications, methodologies, and future directions of AI/ML technologies in epidemiological microbiology. We explore how these computational approaches are revolutionizing pathogen detection, antimicrobial resistance prediction, outbreak surveillance, disease forecasting, and public health decision-making. Through systematic analysis of recent advances and case studies, we demonstrate the unprecedented potential of AI/ML to enhance our capacity for infectious disease prevention, control, and management in the 21 st century.