Future directions in analytics for infectious disease intelligence

EMBO Reports

embo-warning
Image: Modified from Drake & Han (2016)

Like earthquakes and tsunamis, much of the destructive potential of infectious diseases stems from the fact that they often strike unexpectedly, leaving little time for preparation. This is a problem for better analytics. In this paper, Barbara Han and John Drake argue that developing integrated warning system for predicting emerging pathogens is timely. Such a system will require new approaches to data collecting and analytics and they elaborate on some possible directions. Particularly, in addition to the big data and machine learning — approaches currently in development — methods are needed to synthesize information from outbreak investigations, genetic sequences, remote sensing, and other data sources. The Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases is one place where such work is currently being done.

  • Han, B.A. & J.M. Drake. 2016. Future directions in analytics for infectious disease intelligence. EMBO Reports 17:785-789.

Read the entire article here. (Also available by email.)