A Novel Method for Rapid Mapping of the Spatial Intensity of Influenza Epidemics

Surveillance of influenza epidemics is a priority for risk assessment and pandemic preparedness. Mapping epidemics can be challenging because influenza infections are incompletely ascertained, ascertainment can vary spatially, and often a denominator is not available. Rapid, more refined geographic or spatial intelligence could facilitate better preparedness and response.

Objective: Using the epidemic of influenza type A in 2016 in Australia, we demonstrated a simple but statistically sound adaptive method of automatically representing the spatial intensity and evolution of an influenza epidemic that could be applied to a laboratory surveillance count data stream that does not have a denominator.