title: [A retrospective analysis on the association between seasonality of influenza A and climate factors in human from 1997 to 2008, in Hong Kong].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between seasonal dynamics of influenza A and climate factors in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data regarding monthly report on influenza A and climate during the period of 1997 - 2008 were collected. Generalized additive models were established to study the effects of climate factors on the seasonality of influenza A in human while confounders controlled and nonlinear effect determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  
  
  
  RESULTS
  showed that the association between climate factors and the seasonality of influenza A was complicated. The nonlinear effects of climate factors on the epidemics of influenza A were significant, using χ(2) test (P < 0.05). The effect of the factors including mean temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and absolute humidity on the seasonality of influenza A were similar, maximal at low scale, minimal at mid-rang scale and moderate at high one. The minamal effect intervals of the above factors were (17.95 - 24.10)°C, (71.5 - 78.5)%, (18.3 - 24.0) km/h and (4.37 - 4.80) mb respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data from this study suggested that the effect of climate factors on the seasonal dynamics of influenza A in human was complicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Pi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002980:Climate; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature