Pandemic's net gains and losses | Saturday,12 Jun 2010

The rise of social media could assist in detecting the start of an epidemic, according to international disease experts.

 
A research team from London's City University discovered that around three million messages posted in English on Twitter between May and December 2009 contained the word 'flu'. They are now considering how such data could contribute to early warning systems.

"Because it's a real time media, it can call for an immediate response if required," said the study's co-author Patty Kostkova, whose team is working with the UK National Health Service to assess how social media sites can provide visitors to the 2012 London Olympics with information about medical and emergency services.

However, Kostkova insisted that existing disease surveillance systems were still better for monitoring the subsequent spread of an epidemic. And Worldwide Health Organisation pandemic adviser Keiji Fukada believes the internet had a disruptive impact on the handling of last year's flu pandemic by spreading rumour, speculation and criticism.

"Anti-vaccine messaging was very active, making it very difficult for public health services in many countries," he said.