Utilizing spatiotemporal analysis of influenza-like illness and rapid tests to focus swine-origin influenza virus intervention

J. Gaines Wilson, Jessica Ballou, Chris Yan, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Belinda Reininger, Jennifer Gay, Jennifer Salinas, Pablo Sanchez, Yvette Salinas, Fidel Calvillo, Leonel Lopez, Ionara P. deLima, Joseph B. McCormick

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the spring of 2009, a novel strain of H1N1 swine-origin influenza A virus (S-OIV) emerged in Mexico and the United States, and soon after was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. This work examined the ability of real-time reports of influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms and rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) to approximate the spatiotemporal distribution of PCR-confirmed S-OIV cases for the purposes of focusing local intervention efforts. Cluster and age adjusted relative risk patterns of ILI, RIDT, and S-OIV were assessed at a fine spatial scale at different time and space extents within Cameron County, Texas on the US-Mexico border. Space-time patterns of ILI and RIDT were found to effectively characterize the areas with highest geographical risk of S-OIV within the first two weeks of the outbreak. Based on these results, ILI and/or RIDT may prove to be acceptable indicators of the location of S-OIV hotspots. Given that S-OIV data is often difficult to obtain real-time during an outbreak; these findings may be of use to public health officials targeting prevention and response efforts during future flu outbreaks.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1230-1239
Number of pages10
JournalHealth and Place
Volume16
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2010

Keywords

  • Cluster
  • GIS
  • Influenza like illness
  • Intervention
  • Rapid antigen tests
  • Swine flu

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health(social science)
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Life-span and Life-course Studies

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