SynthesisBMC medicine2025
Understanding the local-level variations in seasonality of human respiratory syncytial virus infection: a systematic analysis.
Synthesis in BMC medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Post-Pandemic Resurgence and Seasonal Patterns of Influenza Viruses and Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Arequipa, Peru (2021-2023).Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Whole-genome sequence characterization of respiratory syncytial virus in the Johns Hopkins Health System during the 2024-2025 respiratory season.Microbiology spectrum · 2025Article
- Epidemiological characteristics and spatio-temporal analysis of influenza in Sichuan Province from 2015 to 2024.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Characterisation of the respiratory syncytial virus seasonality and its environmental factors in the Americas-a multi-country observational study using routine surveillance networks.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2025Article
- Human Metapneumovirus Seasonality and Co-Circulation with Respiratory Syncytial Virus - United States, 2014-2024.MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundWhile previous reports characterised global and regional variations in RSV seasonality, less is known about local variations in RSV seasonal characteristics. This study aimed to understand the local-level variations in RSV seasonality and to explore the role of geographical, meteorological, and socio-demographic factors in explaining these variations.
methodsWe conducted a systematic literature review to identify published studies reporting data on local-level RSV season onset, offset, or duration for at least two local sites. In addition, we included three datasets of RSV activity from Japan, Spain, and Scotland with available site-specific data. RSV season onset, offset, and duration were defined using the annual cumulative proportion method. We estimated between-site variations within a region using the earliest onset, the earliest offset, and the shortest duration of RSV season of that region as the references and synthesised the variations across regions by a multi-level mixed-effects meta-analysis. Using the three datasets from Japan, Spain and Scotland, we applied linear regression models with clustered standard errors to explore the association of geographical, meteorological, and socio-demographic factors with the season onset and offset, respectively.
resultsWe included 7 published studies identified from the systematic literature search. With the additional 3 datasets, these data sources covered 888,447 RSV-positive cases from 101 local study sites during 1995 to 2020. Local-level variations in RSV season within a region were estimated to be 6 weeks (41 days, 95% CI: 25-57) for season onset, 5 weeks (32 days, 13-50) for season offset, and 6 weeks (40 days, 20-59) for season duration, with substantial differences across years. Multiple factors, such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, annual household income, population size, latitude, and longitude, could jointly explain 66% to 84% and 35% to 49% of the variations in season onset and offset, respectively, although their individual effects varied by individual regions.
conclusionsLocal-level variations in RSV season onset could be as much as 6 weeks, which could be influenced by meteorological, geographical, and socio-demographic factors. The reported variations in this study could have important implications for local-level healthcare resources planning and immunisation strategy.
trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42023482432.
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