The Google study published in Nature found that Google Flu Trends has a "close relationship between how many people search for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms," according to Google.

The Internet search engine recognized that not every person who searches for the term "flu" is sick, but it noted that there was a pattern when all flu-related search entries were added together.


Although Google Flu Trends isn't as accurate as CDC surveillance programs, it can churn out immediate results, giving health care providers a jump start at preparing for possible flu outbreaks; traditional systems could take days or weeks to collect and release data, according to the report.

"[The] CDC publishes national and regional data from these surveillance systems on a weekly basis, typically with a one- to two-week reporting lag," according to Google's 2009 study.

Ortiz and his researchers recognize the simplicity and immediacy Google Flu Trends provides, and they don't disapprove of its use, but warn that the data should be "interpreted with caution" and that other surveillance systems are more accurate when it comes to reporting influenza activity.

"I really want to stress that Google Flu Trends is a great contribution to global public health, but it does not replace the need for more infrastructure-intensive, basic public health surveillance, including a component of lab-confirmed influenza," Oritz said.

Google did not return calls or e-mails for comment.

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