Flu Dormancy: Understanding Viral Persistence and Seasonal Flare-Ups

The Influenza virus, commonly known as "the flu," has the ability to lie dormant in a person's body during warm months and flare up into a full-fledged infection during colder winter months.

The Basics

• Research by the National Institute of Human Development has shown that flu viruses can have a strong layer of coating around them that is affected by body conditions at specific times of the year.

Summer

• The Influenza virus can enter a person's body at any time of the year. During the warm summer months the coating will melt before affecting an individual.

Winter

• The coating on the flu virus particles grows stronger during the winter months, making it harder for the body to fight off. If a person is infected during the summer and the virus has not been disposed of by the time winter rolls around, this can cause it to grow to a full-fledged infection despite a long period of dormancy.

Transmission

• Research conducted by the National Institute of Human Development has shown that the influenza virus is more easily transmitted during the summer months than winter months.

Considerations

• While the virus is weaker during summer months due to humidity in the air, it is possible for a person to become infected and show no symptoms for a long period of time. This is an essential period of dormancy. The virus can then grow strong during the winter and cause a person to get sick as the air gets colder.