Pandemics, Detection and Management

Abstract

Definition Epidemiology is the study of patterns of health in a population and the factors that contribute to these patterns. It plays an essential role in public health through the elucidation of the processes that lead to ill health as well as the evaluation of strategies designed to promote good health. Epi-demiologists are primarily concerned with public health data, which includes the design of stud-ies, evaluation and interpretation of public health data, and the maintenance of data collection sys-tems. Computational Epidemiology is the devel-opment and use of computer models for the spatio-temporal diffusion of disease through populations. The models may range from descriptive, e.g. static estimates of correlations within large databases, to generative, e.g. computing the spread of disease via person-to-person interactions through a large population. The disease may represent an actual infectious disease, or it may represent a more general reaction-diffusion process, such as the diffusion of innovation. The populations of interest depend on the disease, including humans, animals, plants, and computers. Similarly, the interactions that must be represented depend on the disease and the populations, including physical proximity for aerosol-borne disease, sexual contact for sexually transmitted diseases, and insect feeding patterns for mosquito-borne diseases. In general, then, computational epidemiology creates computer models of diffusive processes spreading across interaction networks. The basic goal of epidemiological modeling is to understand the dynamics of disease spread well enough to control it. Potential interventions for controlling infectious disease include phar-maceuticals for treatment or prophylaxis, social interventions designed to change transmission rates between individuals, physical barriers to transmission, and eradication of vectors. Efficient use of these interventions requires targeting sub-© Springer International Publishing AG 2017 S. Shekhar et al. (eds.), Encyclopedia of GIS,