A Geographical Framework for Analyzing Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases represent one of the main threats for the human population, which is associated with an important increase of emerging and re-emerging pathogens during the last decades. This infectious disease has an intrinsic relationship with environmental factors, which is captured in the geographical space. In this sense, bridging infectious disease and geography represents a keystone to develop and improve public health planning for preventive, management, and control against pathogens. In the present chapter we (A) establish the spatial dimension of infectious diseases, (B) present different approaches for spatial modeling of infectious diseases considering the importance of data collection, (C) discuss the advantages and limitations of modeling infectious diseases, and (D) state future perspectives for this topic. We aim to represent a clear guideline for this interesting topic for students, policy makers, and medicine practitioners. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.