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Valentin S, Boudoua B, Sewalk K, Arınık N, Roche M, Lancelot R, Arsevska E. Dissemination of information in event-based surveillance, a case study of Avian Influenza. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285341. [PMID: 37669265 PMCID: PMC10479896 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) tools, such as HealthMap and PADI-web, monitor online news reports and other unofficial sources, with the primary aim to provide timely information to users from health agencies on disease outbreaks occurring worldwide. In this work, we describe how outbreak-related information disseminates from a primary source, via a secondary source, to a definitive aggregator, an EBS tool, during the 2018/19 avian influenza season. We analysed 337 news items from the PADI-web and 115 news articles from HealthMap EBS tools reporting avian influenza outbreaks in birds worldwide between July 2018 and June 2019. We used the sources cited in the news to trace the path of each outbreak. We built a directed network with nodes representing the sources (characterised by type, specialisation, and geographical focus) and edges representing the flow of information. We calculated the degree as a centrality measure to determine the importance of the nodes in information dissemination. We analysed the role of the sources in early detection (detection of an event before its official notification) to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and late detection. A total of 23% and 43% of the avian influenza outbreaks detected by the PADI-web and HealthMap, respectively, were shared on time before their notification. For both tools, national and local veterinary authorities were the primary sources of early detection. The early detection component mainly relied on the dissemination of nationally acknowledged events by online news and press agencies, bypassing international reporting to the WAOH. WOAH was the major secondary source for late detection, occupying a central position between national authorities and disseminator sources, such as online news. PADI-web and HealthMap were highly complementary in terms of detected sources, explaining why 90% of the events were detected by only one of the tools. We show that current EBS tools can provide timely outbreak-related information and priority news sources to improve digital disease surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Valentin
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
- Joint Research Unit Land, Environment, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information (UMR TETIS), Université de Montpellier, AgroParisTech, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
- French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Montpellier, France
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Bahdja Boudoua
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
- Joint Research Unit Land, Environment, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information (UMR TETIS), Université de Montpellier, AgroParisTech, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Kara Sewalk
- Computational Epidemiology Group, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Nejat Arınık
- Joint Research Unit Land, Environment, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information (UMR TETIS), Université de Montpellier, AgroParisTech, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Mathieu Roche
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
- Joint Research Unit Land, Environment, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information (UMR TETIS), Université de Montpellier, AgroParisTech, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
- French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Montpellier, France
| | - Renaud Lancelot
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
- French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Montpellier, France
| | - Elena Arsevska
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
- French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Montpellier, France
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Keshavamurthy R, Thumbi SM, Charles LE. Digital Biosurveillance for Zoonotic Disease Detection in Kenya. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10070783. [PMID: 34206236 PMCID: PMC8308926 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10070783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious disease surveillance is crucial for early detection and situational awareness of disease outbreaks. Digital biosurveillance monitors large volumes of open-source data to flag potential health threats. This study investigates the potential of digital surveillance in the detection of the top five priority zoonotic diseases in Kenya: Rift Valley fever (RVF), anthrax, rabies, brucellosis, and trypanosomiasis. Open-source disease events reported between August 2016 and October 2020 were collected and key event-specific information was extracted using a newly developed disease event taxonomy. A total of 424 disease reports encompassing 55 unique events belonging to anthrax (43.6%), RVF (34.6%), and rabies (21.8%) were identified. Most events were first reported by news media (78.2%) followed by international health organizations (16.4%). News media reported the events 4.1 (±4.7) days faster than the official reports. There was a positive association between official reporting and RVF events (odds ratio (OR) 195.5, 95% confidence interval (CI); 24.01-4756.43, p < 0.001) and a negative association between official reporting and local media coverage of events (OR 0.03, 95% CI; 0.00-0.17, p = 0.030). This study highlights the usefulness of local news in the detection of potentially neglected zoonotic disease events and the importance of digital biosurveillance in resource-limited settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravikiran Keshavamurthy
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; (R.K.); (S.M.T.)
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
| | - Samuel M. Thumbi
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; (R.K.); (S.M.T.)
- Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 30197, Kenya
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Lauren E. Charles
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; (R.K.); (S.M.T.)
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
- Correspondence:
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Schwind JS, Norman SA, Rahman MK, Richmond HL, Dixit SM, Rajbhandari RM, Wagner SK, Karmacharya D. Health Reporting Characteristics among Journalists in Nepal Utilizing a One Health Framework. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18052784. [PMID: 33803397 PMCID: PMC7967283 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Journalists play a crucial role in the dissemination of health-related information. In developing countries, such as Nepal, the media are integral in shaping the national agenda and informing the public of important health issues. With an increasing need for a collaborative effort to attain optimal health for people, animals, and the environment, the One Health approach was used to characterize health reporting in Nepal. A comprehensive survey was administered to health journalists regarding their public, animal, and environmental health reporting habits. Seventy-one journalists completed the survey across three study sites. Many journalists indicated a history of reporting across all three sectors but did not routinely focus on health reporting in general. The majority of journalists perceived the quality and overall coverage of health-related topics increased over the last five years. However, few journalists reported receiving specialized training in any health sector. Although the overall quality of health reporting in the Nepali media showed improvements, many journalists acknowledged a lack of understanding of common health topics and a desire to learn more skills related to accurate health reporting. One Health provides a conceptual framework for understanding and promoting health communication through mass media to benefit humans, animals, and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S. Schwind
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458, USA; (H.L.R.); (S.K.W.)
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Stephanie A. Norman
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA;
- Marine-Med, Bothell, WA 98021, USA
| | - Munshi Khaledur Rahman
- Department of Geology and Geography, College of Science and Mathematics, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458, USA;
| | - Holly L. Richmond
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458, USA; (H.L.R.); (S.K.W.)
| | - Sameer M. Dixit
- Center for Molecular Dynamics-Nepal, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal; (S.M.D.); (R.M.R.); (D.K.)
| | - Rajesh M. Rajbhandari
- Center for Molecular Dynamics-Nepal, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal; (S.M.D.); (R.M.R.); (D.K.)
| | - Sarah K. Wagner
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458, USA; (H.L.R.); (S.K.W.)
| | - Dibesh Karmacharya
- Center for Molecular Dynamics-Nepal, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal; (S.M.D.); (R.M.R.); (D.K.)
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Yousefinaghani S, Dara R, Poljak Z, Bernardo TM, Sharif S. The Assessment of Twitter's Potential for Outbreak Detection: Avian Influenza Case Study. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18147. [PMID: 31796768 PMCID: PMC6890696 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54388-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Social media services such as Twitter are valuable sources of information for surveillance systems. A digital syndromic surveillance system has several advantages including its ability to overcome the problem of time delay in traditional surveillance systems. Despite the progress made with using digital syndromic surveillance systems, the possibility of tracking avian influenza (AI) using online sources has not been fully explored. In this study, a Twitter-based data analysis framework was developed to automatically monitor avian influenza outbreaks in a real-time manner. The framework was implemented to find worrisome posts and alerting news on Twitter, filter irrelevant ones, and detect the onset of outbreaks in several countries. The system collected and analyzed over 209,000 posts discussing avian influenza on Twitter from July 2017 to November 2018. We examined the potential of Twitter data to represent the date, severity and virus type of official reports. Furthermore, we investigated whether filtering irrelevant tweets can positively impact the performance of the system. The proposed approach was empirically evaluated using a real-world outbreak-reporting source. We found that 75% of real-world outbreak notifications of AI were identifiable from Twitter. This shows the capability of the system to serve as a complementary approach to official AI reporting methods. Moreover, we observed that one-third of outbreak notifications were reported on Twitter earlier than official reports. This feature could augment traditional surveillance systems and provide a possibility of early detection of outbreaks. This study could potentially provide a first stepping stone for building digital disease outbreak warning systems to assist epidemiologists and animal health professionals in making relevant decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rozita Dara
- School of Computer Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Zvonimir Poljak
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Theresa M Bernardo
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shayan Sharif
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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