Google searches can predict the flu!!

Holy COW! I'm probably the last person in public health to know this, but the rate of google searches for "flu" closely matches the actual incidence of flu! I didn't read the journal article (yet) but you have GOT to look at this--it's amazing. The implications are huge. Google search as a surveillance tool is actually a really great idea!

"Google Flu Trends estimates flu activity for a number of countries by using aggregated search query data. The system provides users and public health officials with near real-time estimates of flu activity in their region. Traditional surveillance reports come directly from doctors and other health service professionals, sometimes with a delay of up to 1-2 weeks."



Here's the URL (or click on the heading)

http://www.google.org/flutrends/about/how.html