Effects of meteorological factors on influenza transmissibility by virus type/subtype

Quantitative evidence on the impact of meteorological factors on influenza transmissibility across different virus types/subtypes is scarce, and no previous studies have reported the effect of hourly temperature variability (HTV) on influenza transmissibility. Herein, we explored the associations between meteorological factors and influenza transmissibility according to the influenza type and subtype in Guangzhou, a subtropical city in China. We collected influenza surveillance and meteorological data of Guangzhou between October 2010 and December 2019. Influenza transmissibility was measured using the instantaneous effective reproductive number (R ). A gamma regression with a log link combined with a distributed lag non-linear model was used to assess the associations of daily meteorological factors with R by influenza types/subtypes. The exposure-response relationship between ambient temperature and R was non-linear, with elevated transmissibility at low and high temperatures. Influenza transmissibility increased as HTV increased when HTV