Headlines - Real-time influenza surveillance in the general population

On January 25, 2012, a new influenza surveillance system, GrippeNet.fr, was launched by the Sentinelles network team (Joint Research Unit 707, Inserm – Pierre and Marie Curie University) and the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance. The goal of this surveillance system is to collect epidemiological data on influenza directly from the French population via the Internet. This is a pilot project in which public participation will be crucial. Until this year, influenza surveillance in France was conducted using information collected by volunteer private practitioners and a network of laboratories and hospitals. The data collected by GrippeNet.fr is not intended to replace information validated by healthcare professionals. However, it can provide additional insights, particularly regarding people who do not visit their primary care physician. [...]