Command Line Tool

Query public health data
from your terminal.

pulse is a CLI that puts seven live CDC, NCI, and ATSDR data sources behind one set of commands. Browse them by topic, run a bundled query, and get CSV, JSON, or a table back. Querying any of the seven needs no API key and no login. Only the commands that ask an LLM to write CDC WONDER XML need a provider key.

# requires Python 3.11+ pip install pulse-code pulse topics # browse by subject pulse search "opioid overdose deaths" # find a dataset or query pulse source seer mortality --site 55 # query a source

Read the full command guide →

9 Sources

One CLI, nine sources.

You reach every source the same way: pulse source for the overview, pulse source <name> for its datasets, and pulse source <name> <verb> to query it. If you don't know which source holds what you want, start with pulse topics or pulse search and let it tell you. CDC WONDER is the one source whose requests are written in XML, so it also gets its own annotated XML reference.

CDC WONDER

Mortality, natality, environment, VAERS

38 datasets · 1968–present

pulse source wonder query "fentanyl deaths by state 2020-2024" -f csv
Needs LLM key

pulse source wonder datasets / info / list-queries / run / build / query / refine / compare / chat

59 annotated example queries & XML reference →
NCI SEER

Cancer incidence & mortality by site, sex, race, age

73 datasets · 1975–present

pulse source seer mortality --site 55 --sex female -f csv
No key needed

pulse source seer sites / mortality / incidence / by-age / compare-sites

CDC Open Data

Mortality, vaccination, wastewater, NNDSS, HAI, and more

65 datasets · varies

pulse source cdc-open query leading_death --where "year='2015'" -f csv
No key needed

pulse source cdc-open list / query

WISQARS

Injury, firearm, overdose, homicide, suicide deaths by geography

5 datasets · 1999–present

pulse source wisqars state --intent Drug_OD --year 2023 -f table
No key needed

pulse source wisqars mortality / national / state / county / tract / query

ATSDR GRASP

Hantavirus, ILI activity, clinical flu labs, flu hospitalizations

4 datasets · 1993–present

pulse source grasp fluview ili-by-region --epiweeks 201940-202020 -f table
No key needed

pulse source grasp hantavirus / fluview / flusurv

NSSP

ED visit % for COVID/flu/RSV, by geography

4 datasets · 2022–present

pulse source nssp national --start 202401 -f csv
No key needed

pulse source nssp query / national / hhs

NIS

Childhood & teen vaccination coverage survey

2 datasets · 2011–2022

pulse source nis rates child 2022 --vaccines P_UTD431 -f table
No key needed

pulse source nis list / stream / rates / national

DQS

Health, United States — chronic disease, nutrition, disability, spending

28 datasets · 1960–present

pulse source dqs trend drug-overdose-deaths -f csv
No key needed

pulse source dqs list / query / trend

SUDORS

Fatal overdose detail from toxicology & death investigations

13 datasets · 2020–2024

pulse source sudors drugs --detected -y 2024 -j Overall -f csv
No key needed

pulse source sudors list / drugs / circumstances / demographics / months / trend

Where to Go Next

Two guides.

Command guide: every command, including the LLM-backed ones CDC WONDER XML reference: what every parameter in a request does