目標:傳染病的突然爆發式流行,最需「及早」防疫,以減少「零星病例」而有足以燎原的趨勢,尤其對新滋生傳染病(如第71型腸病毒),或流行多起始於「境外移入病例」(如登革熱與登革出血熱)。方法:應用「地理資訊系統」(geographic information system,簡寫為GIS)的觀念於公共衛生的領域,包括深入探討地理資料型態、模式分析與統計檢定,偏重研討地理空間資訊(geo-spatial information)在協助傳染流行病疫情控制之重要性,如尋找病媒蚊滋生之防疫死角(空地、空屋或工地等)以及病例的感染來源。結果:本研究群已展開跨領域的合作研究,並呼籲趁早推動國內中央與基層衛生單位逐漸開始建立地理空間資訊的觀念。結論:地理資訊系統應用在疫病控制上仍有許多潛在問題,但是隨著地理資訊軟體的功能日益擴充、價格漸廉以及空間資訊之推廣教育,期能未來以地理資訊系統配合該地更健全的傳染病偵測系統、新興研發之生物統計方法與電腦軟體,確實協助公共衛生單位擬定更迅速有效的疫病防制策略。
Objective: Sudden epidemic of an infectious disease urgently needs ear1y prevention and control measures for minimizing the cases leading to an epidemic, particularly on emerging infectious disease (enterovirus 7l) or an epidemic strongly associated with imported cases (dengue fever/dengue hemorrhagic fever). Methods: Application of geographic information science (GIS) plus geo-spatial information to public health, including data types, data models, data analysis and statistic tests, will be very useful in immediate control of infectious diseases, such as searching for dead corners of vector-breeding sites (empty ground, or empty houses) and sources of infection among those cases. Results: We initiated multi-disciplinary research collaboration on important infectious diseases in Taiwan and advocated its usage and advantages to local health bureaus and central government health agencies. Conclusion: Although potential problems of the application of GIS and its integration with different information systems exist, the lower cost of developing software and extension of educational purposes plus newly developed biostatistic analysis methods in future years will be very helpful in monitoring the dynamic transmission of pathogenic microbes. They will provide the most effective approaches in prevention and control strategies of infectious diseases.