Online Epidemic Tracking Edit
Google Flu Trends

Google has announced an exciting new project, working in tandem with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based in Atlanta. The Google Flu Trends allows the health care organizations to see, in real time, the geographic locations of individuals searching for flu-related symptoms.

The underlying assumption is that as the flu virus breaks out in a specific geographic area, sufferers will turn to their computers (including Google’s popular search engine) to seek remedies and treatments. Google, while promising to keep individual data private, can then alert the health care organizations about such breakouts. Yet another terrific Google idea!

Photo courtesy of hhesonline.