The purpose of this book is to elucidate the mechanism of the spread of influenza in space and time. To complement the changes in our understanding of the influenza virus related to advances in molecular biology, the authors deal with epidemiologic data by applying robust statistical methods.
The book begins with a concise and accurate review of the current understanding of the influenza virus and its epidemiology. To prepare the reader for the rest of the book, the authors summarize previous mathematical approaches to the spread of influenza. The heart of the text follows in five chapters devoted to the geography of influenza at three separate spatial levels—local, regional, and global. The book is dedicated to Edgar Hope-Simpson, and, appropriately, the authors begin their analyses with data from his Cirencester, England, practice. Spatially aggregated information from this community practice of 3500 to 4000 patients includes demographic as well as clinical