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What Is the Incubation Period for the Flu?

Influenza, also known as the flu, is a highly contagious respiratory illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year between 5 and 20 percent of people in the United States get the flu. More 200,000 are hospitalized due to flu-related complications and nearly 36,000 die from causes related to the virus.

  1. Incubation Period

    • The incubation period of the flu is 24 to 36 hours. CDC experts say most people can begin infecting others one day before any symptoms of the virus begin to show. They can also infect others anywhere from five to seven days after signs appear.

    Symptoms

    • Signs of the flu include high fever, headache, extreme fatigue, sore throat, coughing, aching and runny or stuffy nose.

    Cause

    • In most cases, the flu is spread by an infected person coughing or sneezing near someone else. The virus can also be spread if someone touches his nose or mouth after coming in contact with the influenza virus.

    Flu Vaccine

    • The flu vaccine greatly reduces the risk of catching the flu. There are two ways it is administered: 1) an injection, which contains the dead virus; or 2) a nasal spray, which contains the live virus in a weakened form.

    Flu Season

    • The CDC says flu season can begin as early as October but usually peaks during February.

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