Using a neural network for mining interpretable relationships of West Nile risk factors

This paper provides both applied and methodological contributions to the field of health geography. The relationships between the risk factors and disease occurrence could contribute to vector control strategies such as targeted insecticide spraying near bogs and lakes, mosquito control treatments for older houses, and extensive mapping, inspection, and treatments of catch basins. The proposed interpretation technique expanded the role of CNN models in health sciences as both predictive and explanatory tools.