Predicting Norovirus in the United States Using Google Trends: Infodemiology Study

Background Norovirus is a contagious disease. The transmission of norovirus spreads quickly and easily in various ways. Because effective methods to prevent or treat norovirus have not been discovered, it is important to rapidly recognize and report norovirus outbreaks in the early phase. Internet search has been a useful method for people to access information immediately. With the precise record of internet search trends, internet search has been a useful tool to manifest infectious disease outbreaks. Objective In this study, we tried to discover the correlation between internet search terms and norovirus infection. Methods The internet search trend data of norovirus were obtained from Google Trends. We used cross-correlation analysis to discover the temporal correlation between norovirus and other terms. We also used multiple linear regression with the stepwise method to recognize the most important predictors of internet search trends and norovirus. In addition, we evaluated the temporal correlation between actual norovirus cases and internet search terms in New York, California, and the United States as a whole. Results Some Google search terms such as gastroenteritis, watery diarrhea, and stomach bug coincided with norovirus Google Trends. Some Google search terms such as contagious, travel, and party presented earlier than norovirus Google Trends. Some Google search terms such as dehydration, bar, and coronavirus presented several months later than norovirus Google Trends. We found that fever, gastroenteritis, poison, cruise, wedding, and watery diarrhea were important factors correlated with norovirus Google Trends. In actual norovirus cases from New York, California, and the United States as a whole, some Google search terms presented with, earlier, or later than actual norovirus cases. Conclusions Our study provides novel strategy-based internet search evidence regarding the epidemiology of norovirus.