What is it about?
Understanding the environmental drivers of influenza transmissibility would contribute to the early intervention and long-term control strategies of seasonal influenza, a serious public health problem that causes considerable morbidity and mortality each year. Within the burgeoning literature on influenza transmission, it is found that there are conflicting lines of evidence on the role of the environment. Besides meteorological factors, it is also uncertain how common air pollutants such as ozone (O3), sulfur dioxides (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxide (NO) and particulate matter may affect influenza transmission. The objective of our study was to examine the relationship of influenza transmissibility in Hong Kong with common air pollutants and other environmental factors, including ultraviolet radiation and absolute humidity.
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Why is it important?
We found "higher levels of ambient ozone are associated with reduced influenza transmissibility".
Perspectives
Being involved in this article was a great pleasure as it has diverse co-authors with whom I have had long standing collaborations. The influenza epidemic often characterized by it measure of transmissibility; which generally driven by several factors intrinsic and extrinsic. This article also lead to understand how the common air pollutants and other environmental factors, including ultraviolet radiation and absolute humidity may have influence to influenza epidemics in subtropical city Hong Kong.
Dr. Sheikh Taslim Ali
University of Hong Kong
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Ambient ozone and influenza transmissibility in Hong Kong, European Respiratory Journal, March 2018, European Respiratory Society (ERS),
DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00369-2018.
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