Tracking Flu Trends with…Google?

 
Flu season is upon us again, which means that millions of people experiencing flu-like symptoms will be performing self-diagnoses through—where else?—Google.com. But is there a correlation between Googling “flu” and actual influenza outbreaks? This question fascinated researchers at Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the popular search engine that compiles raw data from search queries to examine social trends and uses those results to affect the greater good. Working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these researchers have developed Google Flu Trends, a tool that tracks flu-related searching activity by region. Updated daily, the site might very well be a breakthrough for early-detection systems for potential outbreaks. Google Flu Trends includes an interactive map allows you to view trends in your home state, a flu shot locator searchable by zip code, and links to the latest flu-related news.

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