known to public health professionals to help link disease control to prevention efforts, which can aid in developing better immunization programs. GIS is an excellent tool used to identify spatial patterns and core areas of disease transmission. Disease maps can distinguish the low and high risk areas, as well as highlight “physical and/or socio-cultural” factors that contribute to the causation of disease. Understanding how a disease spreads gives health officials a better understanding of how to better serve the public. References 4. Rytkönen, Mika JP. “Not All Maps are Equal: GIS and Spatial Analysis in Epidemiology.” International Journal of Circumpolar Health 63:1, 2004: pp. 11 Available: http://www.circumpolarhealthjournal.net/index.php/ijch/article/viewFile/17642/20108 Further reading Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US. GIS in Public Health, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), US. Infectious diseases: How they spread, how to stop them, CNN. Cashio, Cathy. Mapping infectious disease outbreaks, University of North Texas Resources Magazine 2004. Epidemiology Applications of geographic information systems