(Undark) – The CDC is piloting a disease forecasting service called Insight Net. Could it be a game-changer for public health?

Can we predict the ebb and flow of infectious disease the way meteorologists predict the weather?

The federal government has bet big on the concept with a new nationwide network called Insight Net, which links academic disease modelers with public health practitioners. The network comprises 13 research consortia with participants in 24 states and is funded with up to $262 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Insight Net members are piloting analytical techniques that combine novel data sources to guide surveillance and inform decision-making during outbreaks. The end goal is to create something akin to a National Weather Service for disease. (Read More)