title: Estimating Influenza Outbreaks Using Both Search Engine Query Data and Social Media Data in South Korea.
abstract: As suggested as early as in 2006, logs of queries submitted to search engines seeking information could be a source for detection of emerging influenza epidemics if changes in the volume of search queries are monitored (infodemiology). However, selecting queries that are most likely to be associated with influenza epidemics is a particular challenge when it comes to generating better predictions.
  
  
  
  In this study, we describe a methodological extension for detecting influenza outbreaks using search query data; we provide a new approach for query selection through the exploration of contextual information gleaned from social media data. Additionally, we evaluate whether it is possible to use these queries for monitoring and predicting influenza epidemics in South Korea.
  
  
  
  Our study was based on freely available weekly influenza incidence data and query data originating from the search engine on the Korean website Daum between April 3, 2011 and April 5, 2014. To select queries related to influenza epidemics, several approaches were applied: (1) exploring influenza-related words in social media data, (2) identifying the chief concerns related to influenza, and (3) using Web query recommendations. Optimal feature selection by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) and support vector machine for regression (SVR) were used to construct a model predicting influenza epidemics.
  
  
  
  In total, 146 queries related to influenza were generated through our initial query selection approach. A considerable proportion of optimal features for final models were derived from queries with reference to the social media data. The SVR model performed well: the prediction values were highly correlated with the recent observed influenza-like illness (r=.956; P<.001) and virological incidence rate (r=.963; P<.001).
  
  
  
  These results demonstrate the feasibility of using search queries to enhance influenza surveillance in South Korea. In addition, an approach for query selection using social media data seems ideal for supporting influenza surveillance based on search query data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science and Service, School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic Of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyekyung
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5489-3404
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Youngtae
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1641-282X
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Eunyoung
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0730-2955
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Jong-Koo
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4833-1178
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang-Gun
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7434-0495
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seong Hwan
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0406-7929
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020407:Internet; D012044:Regression Analysis; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D057386:Search Engine; D061108:Social Media; D060388:Support Vector Machine
keywords: Internet search; big data; early response; epidemiology; forecasting; influenza; infodemiology; infoveillance; population surveillance; query; social media; surveillance