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Yang L, Zhang T, Han X, Yang J, Sun Y, Ma L, Chen J, Li Y, Lai S, Li W, Feng L, Yang W. Influenza Epidemic Trend Surveillance and Prediction Based on Search Engine Data: Deep Learning Model Study. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e45085. [PMID: 37847532 PMCID: PMC10618884 DOI: 10.2196/45085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Influenza outbreaks pose a significant threat to global public health. Traditional surveillance systems and simple algorithms often struggle to predict influenza outbreaks in an accurate and timely manner. Big data and modern technology have offered new modalities for disease surveillance and prediction. Influenza-like illness can serve as a valuable surveillance tool for emerging respiratory infectious diseases like influenza and COVID-19, especially when reported case data may not fully reflect the actual epidemic curve. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to develop a predictive model for influenza outbreaks by combining Baidu search query data with traditional virological surveillance data. The goal was to improve early detection and preparedness for influenza outbreaks in both northern and southern China, providing evidence for supplementing modern intelligence epidemic surveillance methods. METHODS We collected virological data from the National Influenza Surveillance Network and Baidu search query data from January 2011 to July 2018, totaling 3,691,865 and 1,563,361 respective samples. Relevant search terms related to influenza were identified and analyzed for their correlation with influenza-positive rates using Pearson correlation analysis. A distributed lag nonlinear model was used to assess the lag correlation of the search terms with influenza activity. Subsequently, a predictive model based on the gated recurrent unit and multiple attention mechanisms was developed to forecast the influenza-positive trend. RESULTS This study revealed a high correlation between specific Baidu search terms and influenza-positive rates in both northern and southern China, except for 1 term. The search terms were categorized into 4 groups: essential facts on influenza, influenza symptoms, influenza treatment and medicine, and influenza prevention, all of which showed correlation with the influenza-positive rate. The influenza prevention and influenza symptom groups had a lag correlation of 1.4-3.2 and 5.0-8.0 days, respectively. The Baidu search terms could help predict the influenza-positive rate 14-22 days in advance in southern China but interfered with influenza surveillance in northern China. CONCLUSIONS Complementing traditional disease surveillance systems with information from web-based data sources can aid in detecting warning signs of influenza outbreaks earlier. However, supplementation of modern surveillance with search engine information should be approached cautiously. This approach provides valuable insights for digital epidemiology and has the potential for broader application in respiratory infectious disease surveillance. Further research should explore the optimization and customization of search terms for different regions and languages to improve the accuracy of influenza prediction models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuyang Yang
- Department of Management Science and Information System, Faculty of Management and Economics, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Han
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jiao Yang
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yanxia Sun
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Libing Ma
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Jialong Chen
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Bejing Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yanming Li
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Bejing Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shengjie Lai
- WorldPop, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Wei Li
- The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Luzhao Feng
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Weizhong Yang
- School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Colucci M, Fonzo M, Miccolis L, Amoruso I, Mondino S, Trevisan A, Cazzaro R, Baldovin T, Bertoncello C. Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance to Monitor Tick-Borne Diseases: A 6-Year Small-Area Analysis in Northeastern Italy. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:6822. [PMID: 37835091 PMCID: PMC10572455 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20196822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases (TBD) are endemic in Europe. However, surveillance is currently incomplete. Alternative strategies need to be considered. The aim of this study was to test an Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance (EDSyS) system as a complementary data source to describe the impact of tick bites and TBD using a small-area analysis approach and to monitor the risk of TBD to target prevention. ED databases in the Local Health Authority 8 District (Veneto, Italy) were queried for tick-bite and TBD-related visits between January 2017 and December 2022. Hospitalisations were also collected. Events involving the resident population were used to calculate incidence rates. A total of 4187 ED visits for tick-bite and 143 for TBD were recorded; in addition, 62 TBD-related hospitalisations (of which 72.6% in over 50 s and 22.6% in over 65 s). ED visits peaked in spring and in autumn, followed by a 4-week lag in the increase in hospital admissions. The small-area analysis identified two areas at higher risk of bites and TBD. The use of a EDSyS system allowed two natural foci to be identified. This approach proved useful in predicting temporal and geographic risk of TBD and in identifying local endemic areas, thus enabling an effective multidisciplinary prevention strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Colucci
- Hospital Direction, Local Health Authority 8 (Azienda ULSS Berica), Veneto Region, 36100 Vicenza, Italy
| | - Marco Fonzo
- Hygiene and Public Health Unit, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Liana Miccolis
- Hygiene and Public Health Unit, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Irene Amoruso
- Hygiene and Public Health Unit, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Sara Mondino
- Hospital Direction, Local Health Authority 8 (Azienda ULSS Berica), Veneto Region, 36100 Vicenza, Italy
| | - Andrea Trevisan
- Hygiene and Public Health Unit, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Romina Cazzaro
- Hospital Direction, Local Health Authority 8 (Azienda ULSS Berica), Veneto Region, 36100 Vicenza, Italy
| | - Tatjana Baldovin
- Hygiene and Public Health Unit, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Bertoncello
- Hygiene and Public Health Unit, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
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Kiss C, Paiva CHA, Teixeira LA. [Management in tension: the Brazilian public health surveillance system and its response to the covid-19 pandemic]. Hist Cienc Saude Manguinhos 2023; 30:e2023040. [PMID: 37672428 PMCID: PMC10494973 DOI: 10.1590/s0104-59702023000100040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
This article addresses the Brazilian government's response to the covid-19 pandemic, particularly the public health surveillance and epidemic intelligence system. It traces the evolution of disease surveillance as a response to the International Health Regulations in the context of global health. Executive orders published in the official gazette, Diário Oficial da União, are analyzed, as well as the actors and groups formed to tackle the pandemic between January 2020 and March 2022. The founding assumption is that epidemic intelligence must be placed at the service of public health. Bureaucratic tension and changes in protagonism among different groups can be observed as these intelligence mechanisms were dismantled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Kiss
- Bolsista do Programa de Incentivo ao Desenvolvimento Institucional, Departamento de Pesquisa em História das Ciências e da Saúde/Casa de Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz.Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil
| | - Carlos Henrique Assunção Paiva
- Coordenador do Observatório História e Saúde, Departamento de Pesquisa em História das Ciências e da Saúde/Casa de Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz.Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil
| | - Luiz Antonio Teixeira
- Pesquisador, Departamento de Pesquisa em História das Ciências e da Saúde/Casa de Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz. Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil
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Fanelli A, Schnitzler JC, De Nardi M, Donachie A, Capua I, Lanave G, Buonavoglia D, Caceres-Soto P, Tizzani P. Epidemic intelligence data of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, European Region, 2012 to 2022: a new opportunity for risk mapping of neglected diseases. Euro Surveill 2023; 28:2200542. [PMID: 37078883 PMCID: PMC10283452 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2023.28.16.2200542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system, jointly developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and various partners, is a web-based platform that facilitate the monitoring of information on public health threats in near real-time from thousands of online sources.AimsTo assess the capacity of the EIOS system to strengthen data collection for neglected diseases of public health importance, and to evaluate the use of EIOS data for improving the understanding of the geographic extents of diseases and their level of risk.MethodsA Bayesian additive regression trees (BART) model was implemented to map the risk of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) occurrence in 52 countries and territories within the European Region between January 2012 and March 2022 using data on CCHF occurrence retrieved from the EIOS system.ResultsThe model found a positive association between all temperature-related variables and the probability of CCHF occurrence, with an increased risk in warmer and drier areas. The highest risk of CCHF was found in the Mediterranean basin and in areas bordering the Black Sea. There was a general decreasing risk trend from south to north across the entire European Region.ConclusionThe study highlights that the information gathered by public health intelligence can be used to build a disease risk map. Internet-based sources could aid in the assessment of new or changing risks and planning effective actions in target areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Fanelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
- One Health Center of Excellence, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | | | | | - Alastair Donachie
- Intelligence Innovation and Integration unit, World Health Organization, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilaria Capua
- One Health Center of Excellence, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Gianvito Lanave
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | | | - Paula Caceres-Soto
- World Animal Health Information and Analysis Department, World Organisation for Animal Health, Paris, France
| | - Paolo Tizzani
- World Animal Health Information and Analysis Department, World Organisation for Animal Health, Paris, France
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Albert CD. Epidemic intelligence studies: A research agenda for political scientists. Politics Life Sci 2023; 42:158-162. [PMID: 37140229 DOI: 10.1017/pls.2023.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This research letter introduces readers to health intelligence by conceptualizing critical components and providing a primer for research within political science broadly considered. Accordingly, a brief review of the literature is provided, concluding with possible future research agendas. The aim is to elaborate on the importance of public health intelligence to national security studies, and to political science more generally.
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MacIntyre CR, Chen X, Kunasekaran M, Quigley A, Lim S, Stone H, Paik HY, Yao L, Heslop D, Wei W, Sarmiento I, Gurdasani D. Artificial intelligence in public health: the potential of epidemic early warning systems. J Int Med Res 2023; 51:3000605231159335. [PMID: 36967669 PMCID: PMC10052500 DOI: 10.1177/03000605231159335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate automated early warnings in epidemic surveillance by harnessing vast open-source data with minimal human intervention has the potential to be both revolutionary and highly sustainable. AI can overcome the challenges faced by weak health systems by detecting epidemic signals much earlier than traditional surveillance. AI-based digital surveillance is an adjunct to-not a replacement of-traditional surveillance and can trigger early investigation, diagnostics and responses at the regional level. This narrative review focuses on the role of AI in epidemic surveillance and summarises several current epidemic intelligence systems including ProMED-mail, HealthMap, Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources, BlueDot, Metabiota, the Global Biosurveillance Portal, Epitweetr and EPIWATCH. Not all of these systems are AI-based, and some are only accessible to paid users. Most systems have large volumes of unfiltered data; only a few can sort and filter data to provide users with curated intelligence. However, uptake of these systems by public health authorities, who have been slower to embrace AI than their clinical counterparts, is low. The widespread adoption of digital open-source surveillance and AI technology is needed for the prevention of serious epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandini Raina MacIntyre
- Biosecurity Program, The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- College of Public Service & Community Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States
| | - Xin Chen
- Biosecurity Program, The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mohana Kunasekaran
- Biosecurity Program, The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ashley Quigley
- Biosecurity Program, The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Samsung Lim
- Biosecurity Program, The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Haley Stone
- Biosecurity Program, The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Hye-Young Paik
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Faulty of Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lina Yao
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Faulty of Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - David Heslop
- School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Wenzhao Wei
- Biosecurity Program, The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ines Sarmiento
- Biosecurity Program, The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Deepti Gurdasani
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
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Espinosa L, Altunina O, Salathé M. Timeliness of online COVID-19 reports from official sources. Front Public Health 2023; 10:1027812. [PMID: 36761324 PMCID: PMC9902361 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1027812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Making epidemiological indicators for COVID-19 publicly available through websites and social media can support public health experts in the near-real-time monitoring of the situation worldwide, and in the establishment of rapid response and public health measures to reduce the consequences of the pandemic. Little is known, however, about the timeliness of such sources. Here, we assess the timeliness of official public COVID-19 sources for the WHO regions of Europe and Africa. Methods We monitored official websites and social media accounts for updates and calculated the time difference between daily updates on COVID-19 cases. We covered a time period of 52 days and a geographic range of 62 countries, 28 from the WHO African region and 34 from the WHO European region. Results The most prevalent categories were social media updates only (no website reporting) in the WHO African region (32.7% of the 1,092 entries), and updates in both social media and websites in the WHO European region (51.9% of the 884 entries for EU/EEA countries, and 73.3% of the 884 entries for non-EU/EEA countries), showing an overall clear tendency in using social media as an official source to report on COVID-19 indicators. We further show that the time difference for each source group and geographical region were statistically significant in all WHO regions, indicating a tendency to focus on one of the two sources instead of using both as complementary sources. Discussion Public health communication via social media platforms has numerous benefits, but it is worthwhile to do it in combination with other, more traditional means of communication, such as websites or offline communication.
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Espinosa L, Wijermans A, Orchard F, Höhle M, Czernichow T, Coletti P, Hermans L, Faes C, Kissling E, Mollet T. Epitweetr: Early warning of public health threats using Twitter data. Euro Surveill 2022; 27:2200177. [PMID: 36177867 PMCID: PMC9524055 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2022.27.39.2200177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) systematically collates information from sources to rapidly detect early public health threats. The lack of a freely available, customisable and automated early warning tool using data from Twitter prompted the ECDC to develop epitweetr, which collects, geolocates and aggregates tweets generating signals and email alerts.AimThis study aims to compare the performance of epitweetr to manually monitoring tweets for the purpose of early detecting public health threats.MethodsWe calculated the general and specific positive predictive value (PPV) of signals generated by epitweetr between 19 October and 30 November 2020. Sensitivity, specificity, timeliness and accuracy and performance of tweet geolocation and signal detection algorithms obtained from epitweetr and the manual monitoring of 1,200 tweets were compared.ResultsThe epitweetr geolocation algorithm had an accuracy of 30.1% at national, and 25.9% at subnational levels. The signal detection algorithm had 3.0% general PPV and 74.6% specific PPV. Compared to manual monitoring, epitweetr had greater sensitivity (47.9% and 78.6%, respectively), and reduced PPV (97.9% and 74.6%, respectively). Median validation time difference between 16 common events detected by epitweetr and manual monitoring was -48.6 hours (IQR: -102.8 to -23.7).ConclusionEpitweetr has shown sufficient performance as an early warning tool for public health threats using Twitter data. Since epitweetr is a free, open-source tool with configurable settings and a strong automated component, it is expected to increase in usability and usefulness to public health experts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Espinosa
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ariana Wijermans
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Thomas Mollet
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden,Current affiliation: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva, Switzerland
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Renshaw A, Lai I. Addressing health communication in the era of alternative truths: the view from medical assistance. J Travel Med 2022; 29:6428777. [PMID: 34791362 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taab179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The negative impact of medical misinformation on travellers in a multinational organizational context is substantial. A clear framework for assessing and reducing the risk of inaccurate health information is required in the current rapidly changing travel context, especially to locations where the healthcare system is unfamiliar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Renshaw
- Health Consulting at International SOS, 566 Chiswick High Rd, London W4 5YE, UK
| | - Irene Lai
- Medical Information and Analysis at International SOS, 4 Drake Ave, Macquarie Park NSW 2113, Australia
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Valentin S, Mercier A, Lancelot R, Roche M, Arsevska E. Monitoring online media reports for early detection of unknown diseases: Insight from a retrospective study of COVID-19 emergence. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:981-986. [PMID: 32683774 PMCID: PMC7405088 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Event‐based surveillance (EBS) systems monitor a broad range of information sources to detect early signals of disease emergence, including new and unknown diseases. In December 2019, a newly identified coronavirus emerged in Wuhan (China), causing a global coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic. A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the capacity of three event‐based surveillance (EBS) systems (ProMED, HealthMap and PADI‐web) to detect early COVID‐19 emergence signals. We focused on changes in online news vocabulary over the period before/after the identification of COVID‐19, while also assessing its contagiousness and pandemic potential. ProMED was the timeliest EBS, detecting signals one day before the official notification. At this early stage, the specific vocabulary used was related to ‘pneumonia symptoms’ and ‘mystery illness’. Once COVID‐19 was identified, the vocabulary changed to virus family and specific COVID‐19 acronyms. Our results suggest that the three EBS systems are complementary regarding data sources, and all require timeliness improvements. EBS methods should be adapted to the different stages of disease emergence to enhance early detection of future unknown disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Valentin
- UMR TETIS, CIRAD, Montpellier, France.,TETIS, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,UMR ASTRE, CIRAD, Montpellier, France.,ASTRE, CIRAD, INRAE, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Alizé Mercier
- UMR ASTRE, CIRAD, Montpellier, France.,ASTRE, CIRAD, INRAE, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Renaud Lancelot
- UMR ASTRE, CIRAD, Montpellier, France.,ASTRE, CIRAD, INRAE, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Mathieu Roche
- UMR TETIS, CIRAD, Montpellier, France.,TETIS, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Elena Arsevska
- UMR ASTRE, CIRAD, Montpellier, France.,ASTRE, CIRAD, INRAE, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Mercier A, Arsevska E, Bournez L, Bronner A, Calavas D, Cauchard J, Falala S, Caufour P, Tisseuil C, Lefrançois T, Lancelot R. Spread rate of lumpy skin disease in the Balkans, 2015-2016. Transbound Emerg Dis 2017; 65:240-243. [PMID: 28239954 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
After its introduction in Turkey in November 2013 and subsequent spread in this country, lumpy skin disease (LSD) was first reported in the western Turkey in May 2015. It was observed in cattle in Greece and reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in August 2015. From May 2015 to August 2016, 1,092 outbreaks of lumpy skin disease were reported in cattle from western Turkey and eight Balkan countries: Greece, Bulgaria, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania. During this period, the median LSD spread rate was 7.3 km/week. The frequency of outbreaks was highly seasonal, with little or no transmission reported during the winter. Also, the skewed distribution of spread rates suggested two distinct underlying epidemiological processes, associating local and distant spread possibly related to vectors and cattle trade movements, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Mercier
- French Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, France
| | - E Arsevska
- French Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, France
| | - L Bournez
- Unité de coordination et d'appui à la surveillance, Direction des laboratoires, Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - A Bronner
- General Directorate for Food, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Paris, France
| | - D Calavas
- Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Lyon, France
| | - J Cauchard
- Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Lyon, France
| | - S Falala
- French Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, France
| | - P Caufour
- French Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, France
| | - C Tisseuil
- Biological Control and Spatial Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - T Lefrançois
- French Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, France
| | - R Lancelot
- French Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, France
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Eilstein D, Xerri B, Viso AC, Therre H, Gorza M, Fuchs D, Pozuelos J, Ioos S, Che D, Bertrand E, El Yamani M, Empereur-Bissonnet P, Duport N, Desenclos JC. [Horizon scanning in preparation for future health threats: a pilot exercise conducted by the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance in 2014]. Sante Publique 2016; 28:309-319. [PMID: 27531429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Background: Health surveillance is a reactive process, with no real hindsight for dealing with signals and alerts. It may fail to detect more radical changes with a major medium-term or long-term impact on public health. To increase proactivity, the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance has opted for a prospective monitoring approach.Methods: Several steps were necessary: 1) Identification of public health determinants. 2) Identification of key variables based on a combination of determinants. Variables were classified into three groups (health event trigger factors, dissemination factors and response factors) and were submitted to future development assumptions. 3) Identification, in each of the three groups, of micro-scenarios derived from variable trends. 4) Identification of macro-scenarios, each built from the three micro-scenarios for each of the three groups. 5) Identification of issues for the future of public health.Results: The exercise identified 22 key variables, 17 micro-scenarios and 5 macro-scenarios. The topics retained relate to issues on social and territorial health inequalities, health burden, individual and collective responsibilities in terms of health, ethical aspects, emerging phenomena, ‘Big data’, data mining, new health technologies, interlocking of analysis scales.Conclusions: The approach presented here guides the programming of activities of a health safety agency, particularly for monitoring and surveillance. By describing possible future scenarios, health surveillance can help decision-makers to influence the context towards one or more favourable futures.
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Olson SH, Benedum CM, Mekaru SR, Preston ND, Mazet JA, Joly DO, Brownstein JS. Drivers of Emerging Infectious Disease Events as a Framework for Digital Detection. Emerg Infect Dis 2016. [PMID: 26196106 PMCID: PMC4517741 DOI: 10.3201/eid2108.141156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Improved and expanded data collection is required to fulfil the promise of an early-warning digital system. The growing field of digital disease detection, or epidemic intelligence, attempts to improve timely detection and awareness of infectious disease (ID) events. Early detection remains an important priority; thus, the next frontier for ID surveillance is to improve the recognition and monitoring of drivers (antecedent conditions) of ID emergence for signals that precede disease events. These data could help alert public health officials to indicators of elevated ID risk, thereby triggering targeted active surveillance and interventions. We believe that ID emergence risks can be anticipated through surveillance of their drivers, just as successful warning systems of climate-based, meteorologically sensitive diseases are supported by improved temperature and precipitation data. We present approaches to driver surveillance, gaps in the current literature, and a scientific framework for the creation of a digital warning system. Fulfilling the promise of driver surveillance will require concerted action to expand the collection of appropriate digital driver data.
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Thorner AR, Cao B, Jiang T, Warner AJ, Bonis PA. Correlation Between UpToDate Searches and Reported Cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome During Outbreaks in Saudi Arabia. Open Forum Infect Dis 2016; 3:ofw043. [PMID: 27011953 PMCID: PMC4803184 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofw043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
UpToDate search activity is useful for detecting and monitoring outbreaks of Middle East respiratory syndrome in Saudi Arabia. Background. UpToDate is an online clinical decision support resource that is used extensively by clinicians around the world. Digital surveillance techniques have shown promise to aid with the detection and monitoring of infectious disease outbreaks. We sought to determine whether UpToDate searches for Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) could be used to detect and monitor MERS outbreaks in Saudi Arabia. Methods. We analyzed daily searches related to MERS in Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during 3 outbreaks in these cities in 2014 and 2015 and compared them with reported cases during the same periods. We also compared UpToDate MERS searches in the affected cities to those in a composite of 4 negative control cities for the 2 outbreaks in 2014. Results. UpToDate MERS searches during all 3 MERS outbreaks in Saudi Arabia showed a correlation to reported cases. In addition, UpToDate MERS search volume in Jeddah and Riyadh during the outbreak periods in 2014 was significantly higher than the concurrent search volume in the 4 negative control cities. In contrast, during the baseline periods, there was no difference between UpToDate searches for MERS in the affected cities compared with the negative control cities. Conclusions. UpToDate search activity seems to be useful for detecting and monitoring outbreaks of MERS in Saudi Arabia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna R Thorner
- UpToDate, Wolters Kluwer Health, Waltham; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston; Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Bin Cao
- UpToDate, Wolters Kluwer Health , Waltham
| | | | | | - Peter A Bonis
- UpToDate, Wolters Kluwer Health, Waltham; Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
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15
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Scales D, Zelenev A, Brownstein JS. Quantifying the effect of media limitations on outbreak data in a global online web-crawling epidemic intelligence system, 2008-2011. Emerg Health Threats J 2013; 6:21621. [PMID: 24206612 PMCID: PMC3822088 DOI: 10.3402/ehtj.v6i0.21621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Revised: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 09/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Background This is the first study quantitatively evaluating the effect that media-related limitations have on data from an automated epidemic intelligence system. Methods We modeled time series of HealthMap's two main data feeds, Google News and Moreover, to test for evidence of two potential limitations: first, human resources constraints, and second, high-profile outbreaks “crowding out” coverage of other infectious diseases. Results Google News events declined by 58.3%, 65.9%, and 14.7% on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, respectively, relative to other weekdays. Events were reduced by 27.4% during Christmas/New Years weeks and 33.6% lower during American Thanksgiving week than during an average week for Google News. Moreover data yielded similar results with the addition of Memorial Day (US) being associated with a 36.2% reduction in events. Other holiday effects were not statistically significant. We found evidence for a crowd out phenomenon for influenza/H1N1, where a 50% increase in influenza events corresponded with a 4% decline in other disease events for Google News only. Other prominent diseases in this database – avian influenza (H5N1), cholera, or foodborne illness – were not associated with a crowd out phenomenon. Conclusions These results provide quantitative evidence for the limited impact of editorial biases on HealthMap's web-crawling epidemic intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Scales
- Children's Hospital Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Biomedical Informatics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA;
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Christian KA, Ijaz K, Dowell SF, Chow CC, Chitale RA, Bresee JS, Mintz E, Pallansch MA, Wassilak S, McCray E, Arthur RR. What we are watching--five top global infectious disease threats, 2012: a perspective from CDC's Global Disease Detection Operations Center. Emerg Health Threats J 2013; 6:20632. [PMID: 23827387 PMCID: PMC3701798 DOI: 10.3402/ehtj.v6i0.20632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Revised: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 05/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Disease outbreaks of international public health importance continue to occur regularly; detecting and tracking significant new public health threats in countries that cannot or might not report such events to the global health community is a challenge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Global Disease Detection (GDD) Operations Center, established in early 2007, monitors infectious and non-infectious public health events to identify new or unexplained global public health threats and better position CDC to respond, if public health assistance is requested or required. At any one time, the GDD Operations Center actively monitors approximately 30-40 such public health threats; here we provide our perspective on five of the top global infectious disease threats that we were watching in 2012: 1 avian influenza A (H5N1), 2 cholera, 3 wild poliovirus, 4 enterovirus-71, and 5 extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis11†Current address: Division of Integrated Biosurveillance, Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, US Department of Defense, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira A Christian
- Division of Global Disease Detection and Emergency Response, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Hartley DM, Nelson NP, Arthur RR, Barboza P, Collier N, Lightfoot N, Linge JP, van der Goot E, Mawudeku A, Madoff LC, Vaillant L, Walters R, Yangarber R, Mantero J, Corley CD, Brownstein JS. An overview of internet biosurveillance. Clin Microbiol Infect 2013; 19:1006-13. [PMID: 23789639 DOI: 10.1111/1469-0691.12273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Internet biosurveillance utilizes unstructured data from diverse web-based sources to provide early warning and situational awareness of public health threats. The scope of source coverage ranges from local media in the vernacular to international media in widely read languages. Internet biosurveillance is a timely modality that is available to government and public health officials, healthcare workers, and the public and private sector, serving as a real-time complementary approach to traditional indicator-based public health disease surveillance methods. Internet biosurveillance also supports the broader activity of epidemic intelligence. This overview covers the current state of the field of Internet biosurveillance, and provides a perspective on the future of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Hartley
- Imaging Science and Information Systems Center, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
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