Virtual globes and geospatial health: the potential of new tools in the management and control of vector-borne diseases

Abstract

Abstract. The rapidly growing field of three-dimensional software modeling of the Earth holds promise for applications in the geospatial health sciences. Easy-to-use, intuitive virtual globe technologies such as Google Earth™ enable scientists around the world to share their data and research results in a visually attractive and readily understandable fashion without the need for highly sophisticated geographical information systems (GIS) or much technical assistance. This paper discusses the utility of the rapid and simultaneous visualization of how the agents of parasitic diseases are distributed, as well as that of their vectors and/or intermediate hosts together with other spatially-explicit information. The resulting better understanding of the epidemiology of infectious diseases, and the multidimensional environment in which they occur, are highlighted. In particular, the value of Google Earth™, and its web-based pendant Google Maps™, are reviewed from a public health view point, combining results from literature searches and experiences gained thus far from a multidisciplinary project aimed at optimizing schistosomiasis control and transmission surveillance in sub-Saharan Africa. Although the basic analytical capabilities of virtual globe applications are limited, we conclude that they have considerable potential in the support and promotion of the geospatial health sciences as a userfriendly, straightforward GIS tool for the improvement of data collation, visualization and exploration. The potential of these systems for data sharing and broad dissemination of scientific research and results is emphasized.

Geospatial information infrastructures to address spatial needs in health: Collaboration, challenges and opportunities

“…Google Earth is one of the most popular virtual globes and it is being used in various geospatial health applications. Stensgaard et al [69] discuss its usage in a public health scenario in Africa which aimed to control and monitor a disease transmission. The NASA World Wind globe (NWW ix ) is another popular virtual globe that has been proven in visualizing earth observation data and simulation [70].…”

New Generation Platforms for Exploration of Crowdsourced Geo-Data

“…Nonetheless, the capabilities of virtual globes described in section on "Virtual Globes as the New Generation Visualization Platforms" have made them increasingly used in a variety of scientific disciplines. At the time of writing (early 2016), examples include geology (Blenkinsop 2012;Martínez-Graña et al 2013;Zhu et al 2014), ecology (Guralnick et al 2007), history and cultural heritage (Brovelli et al 2013;Valentini et al 2014), cartographic heritage Gede et al 2013), natural disasters and disaster management (Webley 2011;Tomaszewski 2011), environmental analyses and modelling (Chien and Tan 2011;, weather forecast (Smith and Lakshmanan 2011), instruction and education (Lindner-Fally and Zwartjes 2012; Bodzin et al 2014), health (Stensgaard et al 2009), landscape planning (Schroth et al 2011) and urban studies (Nebiker et al 2010). User functions typically include data visualization, collection, exploration, integration, validation, communication and dissemination, modelling, and decision support (Yu and Gong 2012).…”

“Internet+” approach to mapping exposure and seismic vulnerability of buildings in a context of rapid socioeconomic growth: a case study in Tangshan, China

“…Because GE is free and is integrated with GPS and GIS, the service has found numerous applications in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. According to the reviews of Goodchild (2008), Stensgaard et al (2009), andYu andGong (2012), the use of GE in research and application has covered many categories, such as visualization, data collection, exploration and integration, modeling and simulation, communication of research results, and decision-making support. In natural hazard and disaster research, many GEbased studies have also been reported.…”