Finding that aggregate Web searches alone cannot provide an accurate assessment of where flu has struck and its severity, Google has decided to take into account data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its Google Flu Trends model.

The Google tool is based on the premise that people turn to the Web when they are searching for information on the flu, making certain search terms good indicators of flu levels. The indicators of flu activity were also provided faster by Google than the weekly reports of the CDC.

During the 2012-2013 flu season in the U.S., the model performed well in estimating the start and duration of the season, according to Google. But it overestimated the severity of the flu leading to a difference between Google’s estimates and the percentage of healthcare visits for influenza-like illnesses reported by CDC.

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