Mapping disease incidence in suburban areas using remotely sensed data

A method using remotely sensed data was developed to map the incidence of Q fever in the vicinity of Cayenne, French Guiana. A satellite image was processed to map land cover and generate a population density index, which was used to determine areas of high disease incidence during the 1996-2000 period. A comparison with results obtained using population census data showed strong concordance between the two incidence maps. All high-incidence areas identified using population census data were also detected using remotely sensed data. This demonstrates the potential of remote sensing as a new tool for rapid mapping of disease incidence in epidemiologic surveys.