E-health data collection key to tracking swine flu spread

E-health data collection key to tracking swine flu spread

As the prospect of a flu pandemic grew more likely Wednesday — the World Health Organization raised its threat alert to Level 5 — data is pouring into federal health care agencies using systems that a decade ago did not even exist.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had reported 91 cases of swine flu in 10 states. One death in Texas — a 23-month-old child from Mexico — has been attributed to the flu, and health officials expect more deaths to follow.
The swiftness with which the influenza strain has spread — and the speed with which new electronic health surveillance systems have tracked its emergence — is prompting companies to quickly dust off business continuity plans and warn workers to guard their health.
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