Sources & methodology
OutbreakThreat is designed as a signal aggregator: each item should trace back to an original publisher (for example WHO Disease Outbreak News, CDC, ECDC, PAHO, state or county health departments, USDA/USGS where relevant, or clearly labeled emerging corroboration).
Credibility tiers
- Official - government agencies and established international public health bodies.
- Emerging - reputable secondary synthesis or corroborated reporting; official confirmation may still be pending.
- Chatter - weakly verified or single-source; hidden by default and not used for email alerts unless explicitly enabled by administrators.
Ingestion adapters
WHO Disease Outbreak News is ingested on a schedule via POST /api/cron/ingest-signals (Bearer CRON_SECRET), creating OFFICIAL signals with publisher URLs and optional draft reports for editorial review. Additional CDC reference rows may appear as WATCH-tier context cards - never a substitute for reading the WHO notice.
Planned / future modular adapters:
WHO_DON_ADAPTERCDC_NNDSS_ADAPTERCDC_WASTEWATER_ADAPTERCDC_HANTAVIRUS_REFERENCE_ADAPTERSTATE_HEALTH_DEPT_MANUAL_ADAPTERMANUAL_ADMIN_SIGNAL_ADAPTER
FAQ
- Are you an official health authority?
- No. OutbreakThreat aggregates and summarizes public notices. Always follow official agencies for mandates and medical decisions.
- Why can data be incomplete?
- Reporting delays, broad geographies, and differing case definitions mean signals are best treated as starting points with linked sources.
- What does "official" mean on OutbreakThreat?
- Official alerts come directly from a government health agency like WHO, CDC, FDA, or a state health department. We link to the original notice so you can read the full text and context.
- What is the difference between an outbreak alert and a confirmed outbreak?
- An alert on OutbreakThreat is a dated notice from an agency or reputable source. It might be an investigation update, a health advisory, or a surveillance report. It is not the same as a final case count or an officially declared outbreak. Agencies refine their wording as investigations continue.
- How often is outbreak data updated?
- We check our source agencies multiple times per day. New notices typically appear on OutbreakThreat within hours. Our editorial summaries are reviewed during business hours (Central Time).
- Can I get alerts for my home, school, or business?
- Yes. Paid plans let you save locations with a radius and receive email when a new agency notice matches your area and disease preferences. The map and alert index are always free to browse.