Norovirus Disease Surveillance Using Google Internet Query Share Data
- Rishi Desai1,
- Aron J. Hall1,
- Benjamin A. Lopman1,
- Yair Shimshoni2,
- Marcus Rennick3,
- Niv Efron2,
- Yossi Matias2,
- Manish M. Patel1, and
- Umesh D. Parashar1
- 1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
- 2Google Labs, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- 3Boston Public Health Commission, Massachusetts
- Correspondence: Rishi Desai, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd. NE, MS-A34, Atlanta, GA 30333 (rdesai1{at}cdc.gov).
Abstract
Google Internet query share (IQS) data for gastroenteritis-related search terms correlated strongly with contemporaneous national (R2 = 0.70) and regional (R2 = 0.74) norovirus surveillance data in the United States. IQS data may facilitate rapid identification of norovirus season onset, elevated peak activity, and potential emergence of novel strains.
- Received April 25, 2012.
- Accepted June 5, 2012.
- Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2012.






