Complete Bird Flu Survival Guide

Flu season is just around the corner, and fears have never been higher.

An avian flu virus is winging around the globe and could reach the United States next year. It is likely, scientists say, that the virus will morph into a form easily transmitted by humans. Were that to occur, officials fear a global pandemic that could kill millions.

Many people think of the flu as a winter disease, because incidence typically peaks from December to March. It’s actually a year-round problem.

But people tend to stay indoors more in the winter, easing person-to-person transmission of the disease, which is caused by a virus, said Jennifer Morcone, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC.

The virus is most commonly spread in liquid droplets made airborne by coughing or sneezing. Symptoms — such as fever, body ache, extreme fatigue, sore throat and dry cough — begin showing in adults one to four days after being infected.