Travel data, dollar bills may predict H1N1 spread

In The New York Times, reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr. details efforts by researchers to predict the spread of H1N1 using air traffic and commuter traffic patterns combined with data taken from currency-tracking site wheresgeorge.com.

AHCJ resources for covering flu, pandemics and preparedness

So far the predictions of researchers from Northwestern University, and those by a similar effort at Indiana University, have proven to be reasonably accurate. Both models foresee about 2000 cases by the end of the month, concentrated in urban areas.

Detailed projection maps can be found at the effort’s Web site.