Effects of Absolute Humidity, Relative Humidity, Temperature, and Wind Speed on Influenza Activity in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Adriana Peci ^[2] ; Anne-Luise Winter ^[2] ; Ye Li ^[1] ; Saravanamuttu Gnaneshan ^[2] ; Juan Liu ^[2] ; Samira Mubareka ^[1] ; Jonathan B. Gubbay ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Toronto

     University of Toronto

     Canadá

     
  2. [2] a Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Localización: Applied and Environmental Microbiology, ISSN 0099-2240, Vol. 85, Nº 6, 2019
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This study examined the relationship between environmental factors and the occurrence of influenza in general. Since the seasonality of influenza A and B viruses is different in most temperate climates, we also examined each influenza virus separately. This study reports a negative association of both absolute humidity and temperature with influenza A and B viruses and tries to understand the controversial effect of RH on influenza A and B viruses. This study reports a nonlinear relation between influenza A and B viruses with temperature and influenza B virus with absolute and relative humidity. The nonlinear nature of these relations could explain the complexity and difference in seasonality between influenza A and B viruses, with the latter predominating later in the season. Separating community-based specimens from those obtained during outbreaks was also a novel approach in this research. These findings provide a further understanding of influenza virus transmission in temperate climates.