Google Searches can be Used to Track Dengue in Underdeveloped Countries

An analytical tool that combines Google search data with government-provided clinical data can quickly and accurately track dengue fever in less-developed countries, according to new research published in PLOS Computational Biology by Shihao Yang of Harvard University and colleagues. The research builds on a methodology previously developed by the team to track influenza in the United States. This mathematical modeling tool, known as "AutoRegression with GOogle search queries" (ARGO), revived hopes in 2015 that internet search data could help health officials track diseases after earlier systems like Google Flu Trends and Google Dengue Trends returned poor results.

In the new study, the research team modified ARGO to explore its potential to track dengue activity in Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, Singapore, and Taiwan. Dengue, a mosquito-borne virus that infects about 390 million people each year, is often difficult to monitor with traditional hospital-based reporting due to inefficient communication, but dengue-related Google searches could provide faster alerts.

The researchers used Google's "Trends" tool to track the top ten dengue-related search queries made by users in each country during the study period. They also gathered historical dengue data from government health agencies and input both datasets into ARGO. Using the assumption that more dengue-related searches occur when more people are infected, ARGO calculated near real-time estimates of dengue prevalence for each country.

The scientists then compared ARGO's estimates with those from five other methods. They found that ARGO returned more accurate estimates than did any other method for Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, and Singapore. Estimates for Taiwan were less accurate, possibly because the country experienced less-consistent seasonal disease patterns from year to year.

The findings highlight the potential for Google searches to enable accurate, timely tracking of mosquito-borne diseases in countries lacking effective traditional surveillance systems. Future work could investigate whether this method could be improved to track disease on finer spatial and temporal scales, and whether environmental data, such as temperature, could improve estimates.

"The wide availability of internet throughout the globe provides the potential for an alternative way to reliably track infectious diseases, such as dengue, faster than traditional clinical-based systems," says study senior author Mauricio Santillana of Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "This alternative way of tracking disease could be used to alert governments and hospitals when elevated dengue incidence is anticipated, and provide safety information for travelers."

Yang S, Kou SC, Lu F, Brownstein JS, Brooke N, Santillana M.
Advances in using Internet searches to track dengue.
PLoS Comput Biol 13(7): e1005607. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005607.

Most Popular Now

AI Tool Helps Predict Relapse of Pediatr…

Artificial intelligence (AI) shows tremendous promise for analyzing vast medical imaging datasets and identifying patterns that may be missed by human observers. AI-assisted interpretation of brain scans may help improve...

NHS, Councils, and Housing could Share N…

A new technology partnership formally announced, could help NHS, local government, and housing organisations collaborate to create an unprecedented understanding of the risks and needs of people in their care...

Open Medical Works with Moray's Dig…

Open Medical is working with the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre’s Rural Centre of Excellence on a referral management plan, as part of a research and development scheme to...

AI-Powered Analysis of Stent Healing

Each year, more than three million people worldwide are treated with stents to open blocked blood vessels caused by heart disease. However, monitoring the healing process after implantation remains a...

AXREM and BHTA Name Highland as 'Fu…

Hosted by trade associations AXREM and the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), 'The Future of MedTech - Innovating for Tomorrow', will allow delegates to engage with speakers from the government...

Generative AI on Track to Shape the Futu…

Using advanced artificial intelligence (AI), researchers have developed a novel method to make drug development faster and more efficient. In a new paper, Xia Ning, lead author of the study and...

AI could Help Improve Early Detection of…

A new study led by investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) could help detect interval breast cancers - those that develop between...

Siemens Healthineers infection Control S…

Klinikum Region Hannover (KRH) has commissioned Siemens Healthineers to install infection control system (ICS) at the Klinikum Siloah hospital. The ICS aims to effectively tackle nosocomial infections and increase patient...

Philips Future Health Index 2025 Report …

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today unveiled its 2025 Future Health Index U.S. report, "Building trust in healthcare AI," spotlighting the state of...

AI Tool Uses Face Photos to Estimate Bio…

Eyes may be the window to the soul, but a person's biological age could be reflected in their facial characteristics. Investigators from Mass General Brigham developed a deep learning algorithm...

AI-Human Task-Sharing could Cut Mammogra…

The most effective way to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) when screening for breast cancer may be through collaboration with human radiologists - not by wholesale replacing them...

Building Trust in Artificial Intelligenc…

A new review, published in the peer-reviewed journal AI in Precision Oncology, explores the multifaceted reasons behind the skepticism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in healthcare and advocates for approaches...