DAI (Disease Aggressiveness Index) Implementation

Abstract

Although the basic concept of disease aggressiveness has always been used to describe several pathologies, especially defining cancer, a general mathematic formula associated to such a parameter is still lacking. Interestingly, only within the discipline of Plant Pathology investigators were able to develop a Composite Aggressiveness Index (CAI) relative to Phytophora infestans activity on potatoes. This very index was used as a template to develop the formula of DAI (Disease Aggressiveness Index). Taking together all the above evaluations and results, it can be inferred that DAI (Disease Aggressiveness Index) could become a very useful tool to mathematically compare diseases and thus set economical prioritization strategies. Nevertheless, such an index could be very useful and supportive to act as a correction coefficient for predictive algorithms..