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Cellphone data track spread of rubella in Kenya
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For the first time, researchers have used mobile phone data to track infection of rubella across Kenya, according to recent study data.
“Here we quantify seasonal travel patterns using mobile phone data from nearly 15 million anonymous subscribers in Kenya,” researcher Amy Wesolowski, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues wrote. “Using a rich data source of rubella incidence, we show that patterns of population (fluxes) inferred from mobile phone data are predictive of disease transmission.”
The researchers used data from anonymous mobile phone records from 14.8 million participants — including timing of each call, routing tower location and short message service communication — from June 2008 to June 2009, excluding February 2009, to quantify daily travel patterns between provinces. Combining this data with rubella incidence data, the researchers were able to associate human movement with disease transmission.
The rubella incidence data indicated three spikes per year: February, May and September. The spikes also appeared in the cellphone data, indicating a correlation.
These data also can guide policymakers on when to schedule school closings and vaccinations for diseases like influenza and measles, the researchers wrote.
“Mobile phone data therefore offer a valuable previously unidentified source of data for measuring key drivers of seasonal epidemics,” Wesolowski and colleagues wrote. – by Will Offit
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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