epidemics

The pathways of epidemics
10/30/2012 - 11:19

Epidemics could be more effectively contained in the future. A new computer-aided method developed by researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig identifies those persons in the population who propagate an infection most strongly. In contrast to other methods, this process is distinguished by significantly less computational effort than comparably precise ones in estimating the actual number of people who are directly or indirectly infected by a specific person.

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Deadly Outbreak of West Nile Virus Highlights Urgent Need for More Research, Funding
08/22/2012 - 10:52

Mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) caused 26 deaths already this year, and nearly 700 cases had been reported by mid-August according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). WNV had become "old news" among the public and the media. Furthermore, funding to support research, training and education, and surveillance and vector control had waned.

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First-Ever National Survey on Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes Shows Mixed Support
08/08/2012 - 09:46

Researchers from North Carolina State University have conducted the first nationally representative survey in the United States to gauge public opinion on the use of genetic manipulations to drive down mosquito populations and related diseases. While public support varies, depending on how the mosquitoes are characterized, a plurality opposes the effort when potential risks are explained.

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New U-M computer model predicts cholera outbreaks up to 11 months in advance
01/24/2012 - 10:05

A new University of Michigan computer model of disease transmission in space and time can predict cholera outbreaks in Bangladesh up to 11 months in advance, providing an early warning system that could help public health officials there.

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Computer models that predict crowd behaviour could be used to prevent the spread of infections at mass gatherings
01/16/2012 - 09:11

Computer models that provide accurate simulations of how crowds behave can be used to identify health and safety issues at MGs, and could be adapted to simulate the spread of infections and to test the potential of public health interventions to disrupt or prevent an outbreak, according to the fourth paper in The Lancet Infectious Diseases Series on mass gatherings health.

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Nighttime images help track disease from the sky
12/09/2011 - 09:40

Princeton University-led researchers report in the journal Science Dec. 9 that nighttime-lights imagery presents a new tool for pinpointing disease hotspots in developing nations by revealing the population boom that typically coincides with seasonal epidemics. In urban areas with migratory populations, the images can indicate where people are clustering by capturing the expansion and increasing brightness of lighted areas. The researchers found the technique accurately indicates fluctuations in population density — and thus the risk of epidemic — that can elude current methods of monitoring outbreaks.

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