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NASA Satellites to Predict Disease Outbreaks

Posted by samzenpus on from the doctor-eye-in-the-sky dept.

coondoggie writes "NASA and its Applied Sciences Program will be using 14 satellites to watch the Earth's environment and help predict and prevent infectious disease outbreaks around the world. Through orbiting satellites, data is collected daily to monitor environmental changes. That information is then passed on to agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Defense who then apply the data to predict and track disease outbreaks and assist in making public health policy decisions. The use of remote sensing technology helps scientists predict the outbreak of some of the most common and deadly infectious diseases such as Ebola, West Nile virus and Rift Valley Fever."

67 comments

  1. sounds good by timmarhy · · Score: 0

    sounds like a decent use for the technology. most of these outbreaks occur as a result of some environmental change

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  2. Can they predict crime outbreaks, too? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Start looking in Harlem, Oakland... you know what I mean.

    1. Re:Can they predict crime outbreaks, too? by conureman · · Score: 1

      pfffft.

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  3. Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What do these things have in common? Africa.

    What's the deal with all these weird diseases originating in that dark continent? Why do we not get such terrible diseases from the jungles of South America, for instance?

    1. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by timmarhy · · Score: 1, Insightful
      good question.

      I suspect it's to do with the poor living conditions of the people and their close proximity to wild animals.

      remmeber asia is also a vector for deseases crossing the species barrier due to the fact humans there live in crowded homes with their livestock. eg. SARS which came from chickens.

      when a virus crosses a species barrier it's suddenly found a new host without defenses and who isn't adapted to it, so it spreads like wild fire and kills quickly.

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    2. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by jihadist · · Score: 0, Troll

      1. The tropics breed more diseases that survive. The colder climates eliminate more of them.

      2. People screwing monkeys. About half of the tub of lard, useless clock puncher, TV addicted morons now would screw a monkey if they could.

      3. Much unexplored forest. Evil shit lurks deep in the jungle, biologically. Less so in the more human-traversed, colder climate forests of Europe and USA.

      4. Racism.

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    3. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by Zekasu · · Score: 1

      Actually, weren't there (at the least) a few diseases that originated from South America?

      The whole mass amount of jungle-life, sweltering heat and humid environment could, even though I'm not a specialist in this, harbor the right conditions for that sort of bacteria or virus.

      I mean, any habitat with disease-carrying insects will have a spread of disease.

    4. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by conureman · · Score: 1

      I'd say that tropical is the common element. Thanks to climate change, I expect that to be a more common element these days. Perhaps the tropics of South America have less human population? I am not informed as to why that could be pertinent. I thought all the weird shit came out of China.

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    5. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by verySmartApe · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's true, most of the viral hemorrhagic fevers come from Africa. But there is Machupo.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machupo_virus You didn't even mention Lassa or Marburg virus. But these scary viruses actually aren't that dangerous to most people. They are too good at killing, so they don't spread. I'm more worried about a flu pandemic.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu
      And where did that originate? Probably SE Asia, but it's impossible to say. Probably not Africa, though.

    6. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by verySmartApe · · Score: 1

      And don't forget http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_Nombre_virus, a type of hantavirus. Remember where that started? New Mexico.

    7. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by nospam007 · · Score: 1

      There are no apes in South America.

    8. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by verySmartApe · · Score: 1

      There are no apes in South America. On the contrary, there are humans in South America. I have even talked to some of them.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ape
      But point taken.
    9. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by vegiVamp · · Score: 1

      The planet-crippling virus Homo Sapiens is also thought to have originated there, btw.

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    10. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by maccallr · · Score: 1

      This graph may or may not help in your search for the answer. It points to tropical climate. Presumably they are not called "tropical diseases" for no reason at all...

      Also see this graph (by continent) or this graph (just for fun) or whatever takes your fancy really.

    11. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by maccallr · · Score: 1

      And if you want to get down to the molecular nitty gritty: then this is the graph to check out. Interaction with the cytoskeleton seems to be key for Ebola... (I never knew that.)

    12. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by MyRuger · · Score: 1

      The diseases in South America kill you before you can reach civilization to spread them!!

    13. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by jandoedel · · Score: 1

      Isn't Marburg a strain of Ebola? But: bird Flu comes from Asia. The Plague (yeah that's an old one) came from Asia.

    14. Re:Ebola, West Nile, Rift Valley by justo · · Score: 1

      maybe the dod is using africa as a petrie dish? *puts on tinfoil nanoskin*

  4. Hmmm.... by kcbanner · · Score: 3, Insightful

    That information is then passed on to agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Defense Hmmm. So they are doing hardcore surveillance, but thats ok because its for saving the world...why does it need to be sent to the DoD? Hmm.
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    1. Re:Hmmm.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Take off your tinfoil hat. The DoD does as much as the CDC does to prevent pandemics and whatnot. A terrorist's wet dream would be sending 20 people with Ebola or West Nile into a major city like New York and spreading it like a wildfire.

    2. Re:Hmmm.... by megamerican · · Score: 1

      When they say that are doing it to predict and prevent, they really mean they are going to start it and help spread it.

      --
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    3. Re:Hmmm.... by Nyeerrmm · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Because the DOD has a large number of people around the world, and they want to be able to be prepared for them, since military bases and camps can be hotbeds for disease.

    4. Re:Hmmm.... by das_magpie · · Score: 1

      Hmmm. So they are doing hardcore surveillance, but thats ok because its for saving the world...why does it need to be sent to the DoD? Hmm. I thought that was obvious, they need to make sure there little creations are working as planned.
    5. Re:Hmmm.... by Instine · · Score: 1

      A few years ago I would have said you were paranoid. Now... Yes there are good reasons for a DoD to know this kind of information. But now that the DoD is becoming a DoA (dept of Agression), we all worry about giving it yet more power... A shame realy.

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    6. Re:Hmmm.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Since the US needs to control the world to keep it safe for corporations, we have military bases all over the world to protect 'US Interests'... Also, disease outbreaks are convenient for 'softening up' areas that are showing resistance to US corporate interests. The shock of a disease outbreak can provide an opening for US 'assistance' in opening markets. We can start with humanitarian assistance, food and medicine (US brand only), then move to other goods and services... but only if the country is willing to open their markets and privatize their 'inefficient' public resources.

    7. Re:Hmmm.... by Remus+Shepherd · · Score: 1

      There is no 'hardcore' surveillance going on. These are weather and climatology satellites. They're using AVHRR and MODIS data to model when conditions are ripe for insect outbreaks that can carry malaria. The best resolution in the study appears to be 250 meters, so it isn't capable of picking out individual houses, let alone spying on people.

      It's sent to the DoD because they have a centralized database that combines these 14 satellites, coregisters them with each other, and turns them into one product. The DoD is making scientific research much easier, here, by letting researchers access this combined database. That's why it's newsworthy.

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    8. Re:Hmmm.... by neepey · · Score: 1

      I'm glad someone is finally making plans in case there is a zombie takeover...

    9. Re:Hmmm.... by Marcos+Eliziario · · Score: 1

      you mean *their" little creations, I suppose.

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    10. Re:Hmmm.... by Venik · · Score: 1

      I guess the data goes to DoD just in case they detect some really nasty weather and they need to bomb it real quick. Nothing to worry about.

  5. Weather by Kryptonian+Jor-El · · Score: 2, Funny

    I can't get a reliable weather forecast, how the hell do they expect to follow climate change to determine disease outbreak?

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  6. Weather? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So essentially this is just a better financed weather station?

  7. Open API? by hmccabe · · Score: 4, Funny

    I want a google maps mashup that tells me who in my neighborhood has herpes.

    1. Re:Open API? by mrbluze · · Score: 1

      I want a google maps mashup that tells me who in my neighborhood has herpes. Just get a job at the health department and you can do it on their intranet.. just click "Intranet -> Diseases -> Who's Got The Clap -> Search by Suburb", and make sure you check the "Show me on a Map" box. Oh and the Community Comments feature on it is hilarious!
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    2. Re:Open API? by darkhitman · · Score: 1

      I like the idea, but I think the challenge of finding a suitably euphemistic name for the project is a big drawback to its commercial success.
      I mean, Google STD Search Engine probably isn't going to sell too well.

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    3. Re:Open API? by Crystalmonkey · · Score: 1

      Why, when stereotyping is much fun? (That crazy cat lady has syphillus... that explains so much!)

    4. Re:Open API? by $pearhead · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I want a google maps mashup that tells me who in my neighborhood has herpes.
      You know, the risk of getting herpes is quite slim when sitting in front of a computer in your parents' basement 24/7 ... (which I assume you do, since you're on ./).
    5. Re:Open API? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I want a google maps mashup that tells me who in my neighborhood has herpes.

      So you'll know who might be willing to "do" you?

  8. Or, by skeftomai · · Score: 0, Troll

    ...we could just pray and ask our god friend to tell us where these diseases will break out. Better yet, we could just assume that the areas with the most sin are the most likely to have outbreaks. How could we go wrong?

    1. Re:Or, by JK_the_Slacker · · Score: 1

      My personal religious views aside, that is one of the dumbest replies I've ever seen to any thread on Slashdot. You, sir, deserve a Proverbs 10:13-style beating with a stick.

      Admittedly, this tracking system can't be 100% accurate... but, that doesn't mean it's not useful. This is an application of technology that can potentially save lives. Now, you may not have the greatest respect for the human race, but you share dna with the rest of us and therefore have a vested interest in things like this working. If it weren't for people and organizations taking new approaches to stopping disease, the milk you buy at the store would potentially make you sick. Surgeons wouldn't bother washing their hands. You likely would have died before you reached your fifth birthday. The streets would be full of sewage.

      I'd like to add that your senseless anti-religious trolling still boggles my mind.

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  9. So No More Unjustified Panics - Yeah Right by tonyr60 · · Score: 1

    So no more bird flu excitement, generating $Bs for consultants and drug companies, only rational pandemic decisions based on hard facts. Should be good.

  10. something similar has done before by holywarrior21c · · Score: 4, Informative

    Live tropical sea surface temperature on the web http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003300/a003376/
    El nino linked to deadly disease http://www.spacedaily.com/news/pacific-02a.html

  11. no, but it's available on your car's gps by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Funny

    "ding dong. turn left in two miles to avoid heavy traffic on the freeway. but avoid the thruway, as there is an rift valley fever outbreak downtown. ding dong"

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  12. effective effort by conureman · · Score: 1

    Better than a vacation on Mars anyway.

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  13. Global What? by hyades1 · · Score: 1

    And the odds of the terms "Global Warming" or "Climate Change" being used in connection with any of this data will be about the same as the odds of me getting into a three-way with Jessica Alba and Angelina Jolie.

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    1. Re:Global What? by timmarhy · · Score: 0
      "And the odds of the terms "Global Warming" or "Climate Change" NEVER being used in connection with any of this data will be about the same as the odds of me getting into a three-way with Jessica Alba and Angelina Jolie."

      fixed it for you

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    2. Re:Global What? by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      Thanks, but based on their track record, I think I'd prefer it the way it was. Have they fired that one scientist who spoke up yet, or did he go public in time to embarrass them out of it?

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  14. Re:Eventually. by timmarhy · · Score: 0
    the world is not over populated.

    all studies and figures point to a slowing population growth and a population that levels out at 20 billion, which is certainly not an unsustainable level.

    The reason being that as the population grows, it grows in wealth and education which results in less of the world being poor and NEEDING 10 kids to look after them in their old age.

    20 billion is definately not too many for the planet either. if you look at how increasingly better the people of the world's lifestyles are becoming, it's obvious that we have enough resources to sustain us.

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  15. RE by GodsBlood · · Score: 0

    Am I the only one concerned about the T-virus?

  16. It's called not giving a shit by CarpetShark · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What's the deal with all these weird diseases originating in that dark continent?


    For one thing, Africa is a BIG place, with high temperatures, etc.

    More importantly though... people are dying of AIDS and starvation, and we do nothing about it. What do you expect to happen, when you ignore an entire continent's need of help. The answer is: it comes back and bites you in the ass.
    1. Re:It's called not giving a shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Poverty is decreasing world wide both in absolute levels and per capita and nothing is being done?

      You need to read up on the state of the world. It's getting better steadily. Things are not as bleak as you think.

    2. Re:It's called not giving a shit by CarpetShark · · Score: 1

      Sure. And the poverty gap isn't growing, and slavery is less common than ever before.

  17. Very Effective Use of Realtime Climate Data by JustinianV · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Often the ideal conditions for an outbreak of Malaria, West Nile, etc. are tied to climate factors such as rainfall and temperature. This is because of the nature of the transmission vectors of these diseases, namely insects, obviously the mosquito, particularly the Anopheles gambiae which carries the more deadly form of the malaria parasite. I've used interpolated averaged (read: doubly inaccurate) climate information (rainfall, temperature) to rather accurately map the areas where malarial outbreaks would occur in Eritrea (a country in NE Africa, next to Ethiopia). Creating a model utilizing real-time climate statistics aided by local reporting could seriously assist in the fight against malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, I only hope the information is put in the hands of the right people.

  18. Re:Eventually. by dubz · · Score: 1

    References/citations/links?

  19. But the biggest threat by far is... by Edgyboy · · Score: 2, Funny

    obesity, of course - worst dieses in the history of the human race. (Obesity = combination of plaque, TB and AIDS on steroids).
    But there is a way out!
    Every time this new satellite spots a McDonald's or KFC opening somewhere in the world, USAF bombs it to obesity oblivion.

    I can even see the promotional campaign:

    ''Fighting humanity problems with JDAM's''

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    1. Re:But the biggest threat by far is... by rock_climbing_guy · · Score: 1

      You're way off the mark.

      McDonald's and KFC are secretly operated by Al-Qaeda. It's part of their plan to 'blow up' Americans!

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  20. So that's the plan? Big Brother Thermometer? by denzacar · · Score: 1

    DoD: You see - we are putting this network of satellites which will be watching you 24/7 so that we can see if there is a mosquito and rodents creeping up on you.
    Joe Average: You can spot a mosquito? Cool! But wait... won't that be invasion of privacy?
    DoD: LOL! No. See... we can't spot a mosquito - we can only see larger things like "environment" and then try to guess where they will go.
    Joe Average: But you can are still monitoring the world 24/7?
    DoD: Well... yeah. But its for your own good.
    Joe Average: But... how does any of that help with idiots? http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2007/05/30/international/i072359D10.DTL
    DoD: Oh, that is the next step. We have these cool personal disease detectors we are making... Bend over, let me show you.

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  21. Those are some good satellites by scruffy · · Score: 1

    If the NASA satellites can see diseases, just imagine how good the spy satellites are.

  22. Home of the plague by jbeaupre · · Score: 1

    Long before sin nombre, when folks there only worried about bubonic plague, you could buy t-shirts in New Mexico that read "Land of the flea, home of the plague." Now you have sin nombre, plague, and a random anthrax outbreak or two. Guess it was good they taught us in school: "Don't pick up dead animals."

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  23. Is this eye-wash? by ElectricRook · · Score: 1

    Is a "Doctor Evil Super Grand Master Global Command Center" like this really useful? It seems to me, that this kind of thing is more of a TV prop than a real tool.

    I'm under the impression, that in the past (before the 1950's) we slowed the spread of diseases with isolation (Quarantine). After the 50's, we eliminated most bacterial diseases with sanitation and vaccination.

    How exactly does a satellite image show the spread of disease?

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  24. test by hmmm15 · · Score: 1

    test

    1. Re:test by hmmm15 · · Score: 1

      sorry.. test again....