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How to read HantaMap signals

Signals help readers understand source-linked public information by geography. They should be read as references and mentions, not as individual case counts.

Map literacy

Read signals as source-linked context

The signal vocabulary helps readers separate public-source mentions from confirmed individual cases, clinical conclusions, or live surveillance. HantaMap’s safest reading rule is simple: every visible claim should lead back to a source and every map number should be understood as a reviewed signal or mention count unless a primary source explicitly supports a stronger interpretation.

Signal
A public-source reference, report, news mention, historical reference, or grouped review record. It is a source-review unit, not an individual medical record.
Mention
A source-linked reference that may help discovery or context but is not treated as official confirmation by itself.
Confidence
A data-quality and source-corroboration indicator. It is not medical certainty, personal risk, or outbreak prediction.
Reviewed map layer
A visible public layer that uses manually reviewed source-backed records. Generated records and raw leads remain disconnected until separately approved.
Three-step reading method

1. Start with the source category. Ask whether the item is an official/reference source, background reference, news mention, travel-associated context, or review-needed lead.

2. Read the geography as context. HantaMap uses coarse, source-linked locations and avoids person-level records, exact exposure claims, or route tracking unless a separate reviewed context page explains why the information is safe to show.

3. Verify the original source. HantaMap helps readers find and compare public-source context. For medical decisions, symptoms, possible exposure, or local instructions, follow qualified healthcare professionals and public-health authorities.

Map numbers reflect reviewed signals and mentions, not individual case counts.

Source categories you may see

Official/reference source

A public-health agency, institutional report, surveillance page, fact sheet, or official update that supports a specific limited statement.

Background reference

Educational or historical context used to explain terms, regions, or methodology without creating a current event claim.

News or public mention

A public mention that can support discovery or context, but must not be treated as an official case count or authority notice.

Review-needed lead

A generated or collected lead that stays outside public map use until URL, geography, wording, and source-support checks pass.

Common misreadings to avoid

A signal is not the same as a confirmed patient, an official case record, a live alert, or a local exposure point.

A higher count can mean more reviewed public-source context, not necessarily more disease activity. Source availability, language coverage, historical reporting, and review scope can all change the visible count.

A travel-associated official report is not the same as an ordinary land marker. HantaMap separates those contexts so readers do not confuse route, vessel, or response information with local community transmission.