Doctors Turn To the Web For Disease Tracking

schliz writes "US researchers believe that data from sources including discussion forums and news websites can help them better cope with outbreaks of disease. The team from the Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School has launched an automated data-gathering system called HealthMap to collate, organize and disseminate this online intelligence. The team argues that online information can be hugely valuable to medical professionals by helping with early event detection. The data can also support 'situational awareness' by providing current and local information about outbreaks."

Re:Responses?

[geekoid]

Your stretch at paranoia is unwanted.

Re:Who'd of thunk

[philspear]

Porn?

Eww... not diseases in porn I hope.

I want to cancel my subscription to the internet immediately if that's the case.

Re:Responses?

[Anonymous Coward]

Scary! But not too far-fetched. For measles, no. But for H51B? Yes. Remember the AIDS scare from the 80's? Apparently there was a blacklist somewhere in the halls of D.C. at the time. The technology now makes it far easier.

H51B? What's that, the dreaded Outsourcing Influenza?

Re:Pandemics

[somersault]

Dr Who has a time machine. You can't find out any major world news before he does.

Re:Waving shiny objects

[maxume]

That's the best euphemism I have ever heard for hitting someone upside the head with an aluminum baseball bat.

Re:Responses?

[StikyPad]

How is that substantially different than keeping a jar of nail clippings?

Oh, you uh.. don't do that? Yeah.. me either. Sickos!