WHEN the next flu outbreak begins, the first alert may come from a flurry of Google searches.
, created by the company鈥檚 philanthropic arm, Google.org, provides daily estimates of the number of flu cases in the US, based on trends in flu-related internet searches such as queries about symptoms. The estimates made by Google鈥檚 new software match the weekly flu statistics compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from doctors鈥� reports, says Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London.
Google Flu Trends can detect an outbreak days before it shows up in the weekly CDC reports, says Ferguson. The extra warning time won鈥檛 stop outbreaks altogether but could play an important role in helping hospitals prepare for a surge in patient numbers, he suggests. 鈥淓ven outside of pandemics, just with seasonal flu the severe years can really stress healthcare systems.鈥�
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If Google鈥檚 approach is successful in combating flu, it could be applied to other diseases around the world. It might help to prevent new infectious diseases from taking root, says Larry Brilliant, head of Google.org.