STATE COLLEGE, Pa., April 27 (UPI) -- With swine flu being reported in the United States, one might wonder whether weather has any part in spreading the flu -- and the answer is maybe
The main way swine flu is transmitted is through contact with an infected person or contact with a pig that is infected. In people, it's thought to spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing.
As to the question of the role weather conditions play in the outbreak, accuweather.com said the warmer weather means more people are gathering for events and, therefore, they can come into contact with infected people who potentially remain contagious for up to seven days following illness onset.
An infected person who sneezes or coughs without covering their mouth can theoretically allow a dispersion of the virus in crowded, public locations, thereby expanding the outbreak.
And accuweather.com noted the warmer spring weather also means more vacations and more people traveling. That means some of the cases might be related to people traveling into Mexico, the outbreak's epicenter.
Accuweather.com Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity urges travelers to check the CDC Web site for information on restrictions due to the swine flu.
