What Is Influenza A?
4. Transmission
Influenza viruses are one of the most contagious diseases around. This accounts for a reasonably high global mortality rate despite a low ratio of fatalities to overall cases. In some cases, simply being in the vicinity of an infected person can be enough for you to catch the disease.
In addition to coughing and sneezing, contaminated droplets can also be spread when an infected person is speaking. These droplets can hang in the air where they can be inhaled or ingested, potentially causing the patient to become infected. You may also catch the flu by coming into contact with surfaces that are contaminated with the virus.
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