Tracking Epidemics With Google Flu Trends Data and a State-Space SEIR Model

In this article, we use Google Flu Trends data together with a sequential surveillance model based on state-space methodology to track the evolution of an epidemic process over time. We embed a classical mathematical epidemiology model [a susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model] within t...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Dukic, Vanja, Polson, Nicholas G., HEDIBERT FREITAS LOPES
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2012
País:Brasil
Recursos:Instituição de Ensino Superior e de Pesquisa (INSPER)
Repositorio:Repositório Institucional da INSPER
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.insper.edu.br:11224/4061
Acesso em linha:https://repositorio.insper.edu.br/handle/11224/4061
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Flu
Google correlate
Google searches
Google trends
H1N1
Infectious Diseases
Influenza
IP surveilance
Nowcasting
Online surveillance
Particle filtering
Descrição
Resumo:In this article, we use Google Flu Trends data together with a sequential surveillance model based on state-space methodology to track the evolution of an epidemic process over time. We embed a classical mathematical epidemiology model [a susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model] within the state-space framework, thereby extending the SEIR dynamics to allow changes through time. The implementation of this model is based on a particle filtering algorithm, which learns about the epidemic process sequentially through time and provides updated estimated odds of a pandemic with each new surveillance data point. We show how our approach, in combination with sequential Bayes factors, can serve as an online diagnostic tool for influenza pandemic. We take a close look at the Google Flu Trends data describing the spread of flu in the United States during 2003—2009 and in nine separate U.S. states chosen to represent a wide range of health care and emergency system strengths and weaknesses. This article has online supplementary materials.