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Respiratory syncytial virus activity and climate parameters during a 12‐year period
Author(s) -
Sirimi Natalia,
Miligkos Michael,
Koutouzi Foteini,
Petridou Evi,
Siahanidou Tania,
Michos Athanasios
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.24430
Subject(s) - incidence (geometry) , pneumovirinae , relative humidity , respiratory system , seasonality , medicine , virus , pediatrics , demography , virology , paramyxoviridae , biology , viral disease , meteorology , geography , ecology , physics , sociology , optics
The epidemic pattern of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection during long periods and the factors that determine seasonality are not well studied. In order to correlate the RSV epidemic activity with climate parameters, we conducted a retrospective study of children (0–14 year) who were hospitalized because of respiratory tract infection and had an RSV test performed in the major tertiary pediatric hospital of Greece during a 12‐year period (2002–2013). Daily data regarding temperature and humidity were obtained from the Hellenic National Meteorological Service. A total of 2030/7516 (27%) children were tested positive for RSV infection. Among RSV positive children 1945/2030 (95.8%) were infants <1 year. A peak of RSV activity was measured in years 2002, 2003, and 2006 (>35% positive). The RSV season in our area spanned from December to April, with higher incidence during January through March. The peak monthly RSV incidence was observed during February with mean temperature 10.34°C and mean relative humidity 69.16%. Regarding climate conditions, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between monthly RSV activity and mean monthly relative humidity (rho = 0.66, P ‐value = 0.02), whereas a negative correlation was found with mean monthly temperature (rho = −0.81, P ‐value = 0.002). However, in the multivariable analysis, only the effect of mean monthly temperature remained statistically significant (IRR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.80). Further understanding of RSV seasonality in different geographic areas would be important in order to timely implement preventing strategies with immunoprophylaxis or future RSV vaccines. J. Med. Virol. 88:931–937, 2016 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.