Keeping An Eye On Swine Flu

Swine Flu, the mysterious outbreak that has killed in Mexico and is spreading globally is top of mind for a lot of people and is definitely all over the media. If you're looking for a graphical representation of the outbreaks check out The New York Times "Tracking Swine Flu Cases Worldwide" and Google Flu Trends. I expected to see a lot more activity on Flu Trends but perhaps it takes some time to affect change on the site, we'll see.

Google Uses Search Terms To Estimate Flu Activity In US

Google has launched a new site called Flu Trends saying that "We've found that certain search terms are good indicators of flu activity. Google Flu Trends uses aggregated Google search data to estimate flu activity in your state up to two weeks faster than traditional systems." Check out the trends here and how Flu Trends work here. I see that Maine is showing moderate activity, glad I got my flu shot!