Mapping the spread of swine flu

Per M.I.T. Technology Review, Google Maps provides a practical way to track the geographic scope of H1N1 swine flu. This map in particular has been viewed more than 150,000 times and has made the rounds on Twitter.

The article states that the World Health Organization now says it is too late to contain the swine flu. However, it also says that the current tracking and communication of social sites, blogs and other internet tools are vital to distributing information and slowing outbreaks.

The Google Map swine flu tracker has been both praised and criticized by the Twitterverse:

1. 
   SagaciousT (Puget Sound, Wash.) @ShaunaCausey also not that the swine-flu google map has many repeats and is utterly useless 28 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck in reply to ShaunaCausey
2. 
   SKARLIT (Sarasota, Fla.) Google swine flu map includes "get directions" when you click on these places. Convenient! I need a better sleep schedula ASAP. 28 Apr 2009 from web
3. 
   chrismpage (Iowa City, Iowa) is amazed by the swine flu google map tool. 28 Apr 2009 from web
4. 
   acaiedge (Undisclosed) the google swine flu map is many hours out of date 28 Apr 2009 from web
5. 
   Worrals (Hamilton, Ontario) Just in case you aren't panicked enough about Swine flu, here's a handy Google map: http://tinyurl.com/swinemap09 28 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck
6. 
   charyl (Colorado) @zaibatsu Are you in Ouray County? I ask bcuz that's where the google swine flu map is showing the suspected case. 28 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck in reply to zaibatsu
7. 
   thewalkingipod (California) @kimbyann12 Well that's good to know cuz I've been watching the swine flu map on Google... 29 Apr 2009 from web in reply to kimbyann12

Mapping the spread of swine flu