title: Development of a geographic information-driven real-time surveillance system for disease surveillance.
abstract: To respond to emerging public health threats such as West Nile virus, an advanced geographic information systems (GIS) -driven Web-based real-time surveillance system was developed to serve the National West Nile virus dead bird surveillance programme in Canada. The development of this system uses real-time Web GIS technologies and services to enhance conventional real-time surveillance systems based on real-time GIS requirements. The system has three modules: QuickTrack, QuickMap and QuickManage. QuickTrack is the real-time surveillance module that supports data collection, edit and transfer. QuickMap is the real-time Web GIS module that provides comprehensive real-time GIS supports and services in public health surveillance and information sharing. The QuickManage module is a Web-based system management package used to manage the entire system. This system offers an effective approach to enhance real-time public health surveillance systems by integrating real-time Web GIS technologies and services. The system demonstrates that real-time Web GIS technologies can play an important role in enhancing public health surveillance systems.
authors.affiliation: Foodborne, Waterborne and Zoonotic Infections Division, Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, 255 Woodlawn Road West, Unit 120, Guelph, Ontario N1H 8J1, Canada. jiangping_shuai@phac-aspc.gc.ca
authors.forename: Jiangping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shuai
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chevalier
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sockett