Why flu virus infects mostly in winter
Scientists
have discovered a possible reason why the flu virus is seasonal and
tends to infect people mostly in the winter. They found that the virus
survived best at low humidity — such as those found indoors in the
winter
— and extremely high humidity. Researchers measured the influenza A virus’s survival rate at various levels of humidity.
Their
study presents for the first time the relationship between the
Influenza A virus viability in human mucus and humidity over a large
range of relative humidities, from 17% to 100%. They found the viability
of the virus was highest when the relative humidity was either close to
100% or below 50%. The results in human mucus may help explain
influenza’s seasonality in different regions. Humidity affects the
composition of the fluid, namely the concentrations of salts and
proteins in respiratory droplets, and this affects the survival rates of
the flu virus. ANI
Scientists have discovered a possible reason why the flu virus is seasonal
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