Use of Geographic Information Systems in Infectious Disease Surveillance

Maps are important tools in infectious disease surveillance. They are commonly used to depict where infectious disease cases most frequently occur and also can be used to generate hypotheses about the causes underlying the spatial distribution of disease cases. Geographic Information System (GIS) te...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inConcepts and Methods in Infectious Disease Surveillance pp. 219 - 229
Main Authors Eisen, Rebecca J, Eisen, Lars
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 22.09.2014
Subjects
Geographic Information Systems
GIS
plague
spatial information
spatial risk models
Yersinia pestis
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Summary:Maps are important tools in infectious disease surveillance. They are commonly used to depict where infectious disease cases most frequently occur and also can be used to generate hypotheses about the causes underlying the spatial distribution of disease cases. Geographic Information System (GIS) technology has greatly increased the speed and accuracy with which spatial information on infectious disease cases can be collected and integrated with other types of geographic information to track the spread of disease cases and to clarify pathogen transmission dynamics. In this chapter, we provide an overview of how GIS technology is used to address fundamental questions in infectious disease surveillance. For example, where disease cases have occurred, how are the causative agents perpetuated and how should limited surveillance, prevention, and control resources be targeted in space and over time to most effectively prevent future cases? We also address key challenges to the effective use of GIS in infectious disease surveillance.
ISBN:9780470659397
0470659394
DOI:10.1002/9781118928646.ch20