Influence of temperature and humidity on hand, foot, and mouth disease in Guangzhou, 2013–2017

Abstract

Objective To explore associations between temperature, humidity and hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) incidence in Guangzhou, China from 2013 to 2017. Methods A distributed lag non-linear model was applied to estimate the effects of daily temperature and humidity on HFMD incidence after adjusting for long-term trends, seasonal trends, and day of the week. Results In total, 353,431 confirmed HFMD cases were reported in Guangzhou over the study period. A bimodal seasonal pattern was observed. High temperatures had acute short-term effects on HFMD incidence that declined quickly over time. The effects of low humidity declined over lag periods, but increased when the humidity surpassed 60.5%. Temperature and humidity were both inversely associated with HFMD incidence during lag days 0 to 3 and with lag periods Conclusions Temperature and humidity play important roles in HFMD incidence. These data are important for developing public health strategies.