As Olympic stars vie for medals, tech battles Zika in Rio - CNET

Nearly 200 health experts penned an open letter to the World Health Organization suggesting that the games be postponed or moved to another venue due to Zika's health risk. The WHO said there is "no public health justification" for "cancelling or changing the location of the 2016 Olympics." The organization did advise that pregnant women skip the games.

Mapping Zika

Halting Zika starts with figuring out how it spreads. Esri, a global mapping organization, is supporting local authorities and coordinating field workers to track and contain the disease in Rio.

Knowing where outbreaks occur and the demographic data of different regions -- think an urban district with women of childbearing age -- gives authorities targets for their limited resources. Experts can use the information for predictive analysis. If you know a certain area near the Olympic grounds will experience heavy rainfall where mosquitoes might lay eggs, you can flag it as high risk.

Local authorities conducted aerial pesticide spraying to eradicate populations of mosquitoes prior to the games. The flight crews sent back the exact locations where they sprayed, adding to a continuously updating treatment map, according to Esri Chief Medical Officer Estella Geraghty. Field workers forwarded similar information from their phones.

"Real-time situational awareness [allows for the] best possible decision-making," she said.

The same map boasts hundreds of layers of additional data, including population demographics, terrain and outbreaks. Esri also employs crowdsourced Idea from members of the public, who call local agencies with sightings of mosquitoes or reports of illness, to get a better idea of the situation surrounding the Olympic facilities.

Crowdsourcing data

Residents and travelers will also play a role in tracking Zika during the Olympics.

Kinsa, which makes smart thermometers, created an app to crowdsource local reports of disease outbreaks. The company gave its thermometers to seven teams and to individual athletes heading to the Olympics. When you take your temperature, the information is logged into an app, and individuals can opt in to let that data be used to form a broader understanding of the situation at hand.

The crowdsourced data paints a picture of the local "health weather," Kinsa CEO Inder Singh said. Users can see what percentage of people in their community are experiencing high temperatures or reporting symptoms like chills. Kinsa does not have enough involvement to warrant certification from the Olympic committee.