Influenza, also called the flu is a viral infection affecting the respiratory tract. This infection is quite common and affects millions of individuals over the world. In most cases the flu season tends to start off in December and last till March. With flue contagious element exists as this condition can be easily transmitted from one person to another. The symptoms related with the flu tend to be observed around 2 days following an exposure to the flu virus. The symptoms associated with flu include fever, headache, chills, dizziness, loss of appetite, muscle aches, cough, runny nose, tiredness, weakness, ear pain, sore throat and nausea.

With flu contagious elements exist and the condition can be transmitted through virus infected droplets that tend to be suspended in air when a person suffering from this infection coughs or sneezes. The infection tends to become contagious from one day before the person feels sick and it continues to be contagious till the symptoms end. This may take around 1 week for adults and may be even longer for children. The patients tend to be most contagious at the time when the symptoms peak and are at their worst. The infection tends to progress by getting into healthy cells and then multiplying. During this time the patient does not have any symptoms. When a healthy individual gets in close contact with the body fluids of someone who is infected by it, the infection is transmitted. Such transmission may occur by way of fluids that are airborne when an infected person sneezes or when the fluids are transmitted through objects and a healthy person comes in contact with such object.

Studies indicate that patients are most contagious around three days following the earlier exposure to virus. it is advisable for patients to wash their hands frequently and to take plenty of rest so as to avoid transmitting the virus.