The Effect of Meteorological Conditions on Respiratory Virus Infections:
A Case-control Study
Abstract
Introduction: Acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) is
recognized as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children
worldwide. Respiratory viruses, particularly respiratory syncytial virus
(RSV) and influenza virus A (IVA), are the leading causes of
hospitalization among children. Meteorological conditions significantly
influence seasonal respiratory virus epidemics, yet the connection
between these factors and virus infection in children remains poorly
understood. We aimed to investigate the relationship between
meteorological conditions and the incidence of respiratory viruses among
hospitalized children. Methods: We carried out a retrospective
study examining children under 18 hospitalized with ALRI from January
2013 to January 2020. Using negative binomial regression, we analyzed
the relationship between meteorological conditions (average monthly
temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, and wind speed) and the
monthly incidence of respiratory viruses. Results: Out of the
5313 children included in the study, HRV (31.9%), RSV (23.8%), and IVA
(16.0%) were identified as the most common respiratory viruses. In the
analysis, the monthly RSV and IVA infections were independently
associated with temperature [(IRR 0.84; 95% CI 0.79-0.90; P
<.001) and (IRR 0.86; 95% CI 0.81-0.92; P <.001)] and
rainfall [(IRR 1.19, 95% CI 1.01-1.39; P =.03) and (IRR 1.20, 95% CI
1.06-1.37; P =.005)]. Temperature was the notable predictor for HRV,
IVB, and HCoV infections, as well as HMPV infections, which were also
positively affected by low relative humidity. Conclusions: Low
temperatures are linked to higher RSV, IVA, IVB, HCoV, and HMPV
infections. Rainfall predicts RSV and IVA infections, while relative
humidity predicts HMPV infections.