Cold, dry air is associated with influenza and pneumonia mortality in Auckland, New Zealand

Robert E. Davis; Erin Dougherty; Colin McArthur; Qiu Sue Huang; Michael G. Baker

doi:10.1111/irv.12369

Cold, dry air is associated with influenza and pneumonia mortality in Auckland, New Zealand

Robert E. Davis, Erin Dougherty, Colin McArthur, Qiu Sue Huang, Michael G. Baker

Hydrometeorological Applications Program

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

61 Scopus citations

Abstract

The relationship between weather and influenza and pneumonia mortality was examined retrospectively using daily data from 1980 to 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand, a humid, subtropical location. Mortality events, defined when mortality exceeded 0·95 standard deviation above the mean, followed periods of anomalously cold air (t_a.m. = −4·1, P < 0·01; t_p.m. = −4·2, P < 0·01) and/or anomalously dry air (t_a.m. = −4·1, P < 0·01; t_p.m. = −3·8, P < 0·01) by up to 19 days. These results suggest that respiratory infection is enhanced during unusually cold conditions and during conditions with unusually low humidity, even in a subtropical location where humidity is typically high.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	310-313
Number of pages	4
Journal	Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses
Volume	10
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.12369
State	Published - Jul 1 2016

Keywords

Air temperature
climate
humidity
influenza mortality
seasonality
weather

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title = "Cold, dry air is associated with influenza and pneumonia mortality in Auckland, New Zealand",

abstract = "The relationship between weather and influenza and pneumonia mortality was examined retrospectively using daily data from 1980 to 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand, a humid, subtropical location. Mortality events, defined when mortality exceeded 0·95 standard deviation above the mean, followed periods of anomalously cold air (ta.m. = −4·1, P < 0·01; tp.m. = −4·2, P < 0·01) and/or anomalously dry air (ta.m. = −4·1, P < 0·01; tp.m. = −3·8, P < 0·01) by up to 19 days. These results suggest that respiratory infection is enhanced during unusually cold conditions and during conditions with unusually low humidity, even in a subtropical location where humidity is typically high.",

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author = "Davis, \{Robert E.\} and Erin Dougherty and Colin McArthur and Huang, \{Qiu Sue\} and Baker, \{Michael G.\}",

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T1 - Cold, dry air is associated with influenza and pneumonia mortality in Auckland, New Zealand

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AU - Dougherty, Erin

AU - McArthur, Colin

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AU - Baker, Michael G.

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AB - The relationship between weather and influenza and pneumonia mortality was examined retrospectively using daily data from 1980 to 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand, a humid, subtropical location. Mortality events, defined when mortality exceeded 0·95 standard deviation above the mean, followed periods of anomalously cold air (ta.m. = −4·1, P < 0·01; tp.m. = −4·2, P < 0·01) and/or anomalously dry air (ta.m. = −4·1, P < 0·01; tp.m. = −3·8, P < 0·01) by up to 19 days. These results suggest that respiratory infection is enhanced during unusually cold conditions and during conditions with unusually low humidity, even in a subtropical location where humidity is typically high.

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KW - influenza mortality

KW - seasonality

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Cold, dry air is associated with influenza and pneumonia mortality in Auckland, New Zealand

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