Abstract
Numerous viruses can cause upper respiratory tract infections. They often precede serious lower respiratory tract infections. Each virus has a seasonal pattern, with peaks in activity in different seasons. We examined the effects of daily local meteorological data (temperature, relative humidity, “humidity-range” and dew point) from Edinburgh, Scotland on the seasonal variations in viral transmission. We identified the seasonality of rhinovirus, adenovirus, influenza A and B viruses, human parainfluenza viruses 1–3 (HPIV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) from the 52060 respiratory samples tested between 2009 and 2015 and then confirmed the same by a generalised linear model. We also investigated the relationship between meteorological factors and viral seasonality. Non-enveloped viruses were present throughout the year. Following logistic regression adenovirus, influenza viruses A, B, RSV and HMPV preferred low temperatures; RSV and influenza A virus preferred a narrow “humidity-range” and HPIV type 3 preferred the season with lower humidity. A change (i.e. increase or decrease) in specific meteorological factors is associated with an increase in activity of specific viruses at certain times of the year.
Highlights
Numerous viruses can cause upper respiratory tract infections
We identified the seasonality of rhinovirus, adenovirus, influenza A and B viruses, human parainfluenza viruses 1–3 (HPIV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) from the 52060 respiratory samples tested between 2009 and 2015 and confirmed the same by a generalised linear model
We investigated the relationship between meteorological factors and viral seasonality
Summary
Numerous viruses can cause upper respiratory tract infections. Influenza viruses A, B, RSV and HMPV preferred low temperatures; RSV and influenza A virus preferred a narrow “humidity-range” and HPIV type 3 preferred the season with lower humidity. The common cold is typically a mild upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), with symptoms such as nasal stuffiness and discharge, sore throat, coughing and sneezing[1,2]. Other viruses including respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV) types A and B, human parainfluenza viruses (HPIV) types 1–4, adenoviruses, human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and influenza viruses A-C (IAV, IBV and ICV) cause URTI8,9. 2: The effect of meteorological factors (e.g. temperature, humidity) on virus survival and on infection rates. There are other hypothesis such as diminished immune responses in a chilled host, or the reactivation of dormant viruses by chilling for the increase in URTI during the colder months[12]
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