Google Flu Trends, based on Internet search activity, predicts new outbreaks of flu in the US.

It is that time of the year here on the Northern Hemisphere.

A steady stream of new mutated flu viruses reach Europe and Northern America from Asia, leading to sore throats, runny noses and feverish days and nights, and there seems to be nothing we can do about it.

Normally you would look to the medical field for a solution (there is not one yet), but now Google wants to use web search to help out.

New Scientist reports that Google Flu Trends, created by the company’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, provides daily estimates of the number of flu cases in the US.

Google uses its database of internet search queries to do this. In short Google counts the number of queries related to flu symptoms and look for changes in the number of such searches. A surge in searches indicates that there is a new outbreak.

Google can detect an outbreak days before it shows up in the weekly statistical reports compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Needless to say, this information cannot stop an outbreak, but the hospital may be better prepared for the next wave of flu patients.

Google.org is working on similar web search trend statistics for other diseases.

Below is a figure that shows the correlation between searches (flu) and CDC data.

An animated version can be found over at Google.org.