Disease diffusion mapping

Disease diffusion occurs when a <a href="/facts/Disease/55eeQlGL">disease</a> is transmitted to a new location. It implies that a disease spreads, or pours out, from a central source. The idea of showing the spread of disease using a <a href="/facts/Diffusion/KbAxroBa">diffusion</a> pattern is relatively modern, compared to earlier methods of mapping disease, which are still used today. According to Rytokonen, the goals of disease mapping are: 1) to describe the spatial variation in disease incidence to formulate an <a href="/facts/Etiology/Bz8MAeSq">etiological</a> hypothesis; 2) to identify areas of high risk in order to increase prevention; and 3) to provide a <a href="/facts/Map/KxQX4B2U">map</a> of disease risk for a region for better risk preparedness.
<a href="/facts/Torsten_H%25C3%25A4gerstrand/wtURmIpd">Torsten Hägerstrand</a>’s early work on “waves of <a href="/facts/Diffusion_of_innovation/8UEwoDV3">innovation</a>” is the basis that many medical <a href="/facts/Cartography/8YdDAAeX">cartographers</a> and <a href="/facts/Geographer/lQAzvXY0">geographers</a> use for mapping spatial diffusion (1968). The diffusion of disease can be described in four patterns: expansion diffusion, contagious diffusion, hierarchal diffusion and relocation diffusion. Cromley and McLafferty also mention network diffusion and mixed diffusion.
The diffusion of <a href="/facts/Infectious_disease/182XrncP">infectious disease</a> tends to occur in a ‘wave’ fashion, spreading from a central source. Pyle mentions barriers that pose a resistance towards a wave of diffusion, which include but are not limited to: physiographic features (i.e. mountains, water bodies), political boundaries, linguistic barriers, and with diseases, a barrier could be differing control programs. The diffusion of disease can be identified as a <a href="/facts/Normal_distribution/UapjjPyQ">normal distribution</a> over time and translated into an S-shaped curve to show the phases of disease diffusion. The phases are: Infusion (25th percentile), Inflection (50th percentile), Saturation (75th percentile), and Waning to the upper limits.

Disease diffusion mapping open-in-new

Disease diffusion mapping