Outbreak.com- Digital Epidemiology

HealthMap: image source- The Guardian (UK)

I have been incommunicado now for nearly 9 days, relaxing in Cape Cod and tuning out from the world, until, of course, Hurricane Irene hit the Eastern coast of the USA.


Now back in Richmond and attempting to pick up where I left off.


Social media and the web are useful beyond the obvious. They can also be potent sources of epidemiologic data providing clues and leads on emerging diseases and outbreaks.  


Here is an interesting article in Time Magazine titled Outbreak.com -using the web to track infectious diseases in real time.


Highlighted is the HealthMap project. HealthMap automatically trolls news sites, eyewitness reports, government data, even wildlife-disease cases to identify new patterns in outbreaks, presenting the results on a clickable map.

Owing to internet and cell phones, a new level of interconnectedness has arisen, allowing for instantaneous digital data mining of every corner of the globe.

Global, digital epidemiology is born, so, go ahead and tweet, post and upload your malady into the the cloud....it may be of significance.