Early detection of disease outbreaks using the Internet

Abstract

A vast amount of real-time information about infectious disease outbreaks is found in various forms of Web-based data streams.2 These range from official public health reporting to informal news coverage to individual accounts in chat rooms and blogs.3^–5 Because Web-based data sources exist outside traditional reporting channels, they are invaluable to public health agencies that depend on timely information flow across national and subnational borders. These information sources, which can be identified through Internet-based tools, are often capable of detecting the first evidence of an outbreak, especially in areas with a limited capacity for public health surveillance. For example, the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network relies on these data for day-to-day surveillance activities.3^,4 Revised international health rules have authorized the World Health Organization to act on this information to issue recommendations to prevent the spread of diseases.6