# Question about flu spread

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-flu-spread/779514>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 11, 2017, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-flu-spread/779514 "2017-02-11T01:22:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sara20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@sara20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sara20)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-flu-spread/779514/1 "2017-02-11T01:22:23Z")

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Can you catch the flu if someone coughs on your food and you eat it?

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**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-flu-spread/779514/2 "2017-02-11T06:29:01Z")

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If the person who coughed on your food had the flu, then yes you could catch the flu.  
That wouldn’t be an ideal transmission route, but it is possible.

> **[How Flu Spreads](https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/spread.htm)**
>
> Flu viruses spread by droplets made when people cough, sneeze or talk.