Global Epidemic and Mobility Model
Originating from Northeastern University, the Global Epidemic and Mobility Model, otherwise known as GLEAM, maps outs the paths through which a disease such as the H1N1 Flu virus can take to spread from one place to another. It is used by epidemiologists to predict certain paths epidemics may take in their spread so that these scientists can stop them in their tracks before they have the opportunity to spread. The way this program works is it combines many different variables which can affect the spread patterns of a disease, and then it spits out a predicted map of possible paths a disease may take in spreading. For example, the program can take the population of a certain location, combine it with how these people travel or commute, factor in the characteristics of a certain disease, and finally add in travel limitations and vaccination efforts. It then factors all these together and produces a map with different paths mapped out using different colors based on the time it would take to spread.
One example of this map is the Epi-Rail, displayed at the New York Hall of Science. This specific map produced the patterns based off the 2009 outbreak of swine flu. The program can take in different variables depending on what it is meant to predict, and this helps policymakers, health workers, and epidemiologists prepare for potential devastating scenarios. Another disease the GLEAM model is being used to track is Ebola. While originating from Africa, this disease lead to an outbreak which scared many people across the globe. One limitation with this however is that the model only works if there is sufficient data on the disease to input to the model. If the country doesn’t have data about the disease themselves, then the GLEAM model becomes extremely limited on what it can do, and it may not produce the best results if it can be used at all. While the Ebola outbreak seems to have largely been controlled since the epidemic, the GLEAM model is being used to learn more about this virus, and is being bettered in hopes of preventing other catastrophes in the future.
http://www.wired.com/2015/04/see-diseases-spread-mesmerizing-graphics/