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Association between Weather Variables and Viral Gastroenteritis in the United States
Natalya Alekhina1, Paola Fonseca-Romero2,3, Per H Gesteland1,4
1Department of Biomedical Informatics, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Summary
Higher ambient temperature is linked to fewer cases of viral infectious gastroenteritis (IGE) in children. This study suggests weather patterns influence viral transmission, impacting pediatric health.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Epidemiology
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Infectious gastroenteritis (IGE) significantly impacts global pediatric morbidity, with viral pathogens being a primary cause.
- While seasonal trends of viral IGE are known, the precise link between environmental factors like temperature and IGE requires further quantification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between ambient temperature and other environmental exposures and the viral etiology of IGE in children.
- To validate individual-level findings using population-level surveillance data.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of a prospective, multisite study involving 868 children with IGE.
- Linking individual laboratory data with environmental data (temperature, humidity, air pollutants) from the 14 days prior to symptom onset.
- Utilizing mixed-effects logistic regression and analyzing regional surveillance data (GermWatch).
Main Results:
- Higher ambient temperature showed a significant inverse association with viral IGE in children (OR 0.50, p < 0.001).
- No significant associations were found between other environmental variables and viral IGE.
- Population-level data corroborated the inverse relationship between temperature and viral pathogen detection.
Conclusions:
- Ambient temperature is a significant environmental factor associated with the etiology of viral IGE in children.
- Findings support the influence of weather on viral transmission dynamics.
- Integrating environmental data into clinical practice could enhance diagnostic stewardship and resource allocation for IGE outbreaks.
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