Flu trackers encourage patients to blog about it

As health officials prepare for the flu season amid the global H1N1 pandemic, technology and new forms of Internet social interaction are transforming how such outbreaks are monitored. Experts say Internet surveillance has the advantage of speed and can detect sick people who might not see a doctor. Google's public Flu Trends system, for example, is designed to pick up early clues by tracking and analyzing Internet searches for flu information.