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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."

11 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. 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 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.

  2. 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 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.

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

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

  5. 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

  6. 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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  7. 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.
  8. 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.

  9. 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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