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Association of influenza epidemics with global climate variability

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Abstract

The reasons for the seasonality and annual changes in the impact of influenza epidemics remain poorly understood. We investigated the covariations between a major component of climate, namely the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and indicators of the impact of influenza, as measured by morbidity, excess mortality and viral subtypes collected in France during the period 1971–2002. We show that both the circulating subtype and the magnitude of ENSO are associated with the impact of influenza epidemics. Recognition of this association could lead to better understanding of the mechanisms of emergence of influenza epidemics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut National de la Santè et de la Recherche Mèdicale, Unit 444, Epidemiology and Information Sciences, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire, Saint-Antoine, USA

    Cecile Viboud, Khashayar Pakdaman, Pierre-yves Boëlle, Alain-Jacques Valleron & Antoine Flahault

  2. WHO Collaborating Center for electronic disease surveillance, 27 rue Chaligny, Paris cedex 12, 75 571, France(

    Cecile Viboud & Antoine Flahault

  3. Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, 109 S. Observatory Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA

    Mark L. Wilson

  4. Human Health Initiative, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 902, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, USA

    Monica F. Myers

Authors
  1. Cecile Viboud
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  2. Khashayar Pakdaman
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  3. Pierre-yves Boëlle
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  4. Mark L. Wilson
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  5. Monica F. Myers
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  6. Alain-Jacques Valleron
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  7. Antoine Flahault
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Viboud, C., Pakdaman, K., Boëlle, Py. et al. Association of influenza epidemics with global climate variability. Eur J Epidemiol 19, 1055–1059 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-004-2450-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-004-2450-9

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