Role of big data in the early detection of Ebola and other emerging infectious diseases

The lack of adequate disease surveillance systems in Ebola-aff ected areas has both reduced the ability to respond locally and has increased global risk. There is a need to improve disease surveillance in vulnerable regions, and digital surveil lance could present a viable approach. Digital surveillance seeks to gain knowledge of public health issues through the analysis of data in the digital domain (such as internet search metrics, Twitter posts, or online news stories), the distribution of these data, and patterns of access. It has already shown some promise. 1