Is Flu Contagious?

Transmission of Flu from Person to Person

Flu is considered to be contagious between people. Generally the infectious agent may be transmitted by saliva, air, cough, fecal-oral route, surfaces, blood, needles, blood transfusions, sexual contact, mother to fetus, etc.
Flu, although infectious, is not a genetic disease. It is not caused by a defective or abnormal gene.
The contagious disease, Flu, can be transmitted:

• from person to person by saliva, air, coughing, contact, surfaces, fecal-oral route, etc.

Contagiousness properties for Flu:

  Contagious by droplet?: Yes

  Contagious from kissing?: Yes

  Contagious from saliva?: Yes

Contagion summary:

You can get the flu if someone around you who has the flu coughs or sneezes. You can get the flu simply by touching a surface like a telephone or door knob that has been contaminated by a touch from someone who has the flu. The viruses can pass through the air and can enter your body through your nose or mouth. If you've touched a contaminated surface, they can pass from your hand to your nose or mouth. (Source: excerpt from The Flu, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)

You can spread the flu to others before your symptoms start and for another three to four days after your symptoms appear. (Source: excerpt from The Flu, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)

About contagion and contagiousness:

Contagion and contagiousness refers to how easily the spread of Flu is possible from one person to another. Other words for contagion include "infection", "infectiousness", "transmission" or "transmissability". Contagiousness has nothing to do with genetics or inheriting diseases from parents. For an overview of contagion, see Introduction to Contagion.

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