Just in time for a new wave of swine flu and West Nile concern, the iPhone can now help users track disease with 'Outbreaks Near Me'' a free application that uses the GPS tracking system to pinpoint areas where outbreaks of diseases, including H1N1 (swine flu) and the West Nile virus, among others, have been detected. Researchers at MIT Media Lab developed the application in conjunction with Boston Children's Hospital, in the hopes that it will promote a more pro-active, interactive approach to public health.

The application allows you to set alerts that notify you on the phone or by email of outbreaks in your area. Worried about contracting illnesses while traveling? The new app also alerts you of disease outbreaks in your new location as you go. And if you have new information about disease in your area, you can use the upload feature to share news and photos with other users. All of this is possible thanks to Google.org and HealthMap, a resource that collects, disseminates and maps information about infectious diseases as they spread. You can download the app for free in the iTunes app store.