· When hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf coast, epidemiologists were sent to the area to conduct surveys to determine if there was any increase in the frequency of human respiratory, gastrointestinal, and other diseases.
· Data from human hospitals and private medical practices was not readily available to identify the frequency and pattern of human disease
· In contrast, medical data was readily available in electronic format from Banfield veterinary hospitals (blue squares) located in areas affected by hurricane Katrina