Q: Why do we get the flu...

Q: Why do we get the flu most often in winter?

A: That is one of the many questions about influenza for which scientists do not have good answers, according to Dr. Hugh D. Niall, who led the team that developed the flu drug Zanamavir. Flu is spread largely by transmission in aerosols, microscopic droplets expelled by sneezing and coughing. These aerosols remain airborne and are breathed in by the next victim. Situations in which people are crowded together--so that the virus is more likely to spread--are more common in cold or wet weather. Interestingly, in equatorial countries, flu occurs throughout the year, but is most common in the monsoon and rainy season. For more information about influenza, visit https://https://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/fact/flu.htm.