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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dougherty
authors.affiliation: Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McArthur
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Qiu Sue
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: University of Otago-Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D003080:Cold Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000821:virology; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D014887:Weather
keywords: Air temperature; climate; humidity; influenza mortality; seasonality; weather