Share this on:Copied!

Getting sick with a spring or summer cold or flu can feel extra miserable. Who wants to miss out on the fun of festivals, beach days, and vacations?

The flu is rare in the summer but can still happen. Colds can also get in the way of your summer fun. In fact, some cold viruses are more likely to spread in the summer.

There are also tick- and mosquito-borne illnesses that can cause flu-like symptoms in the summer. Here’s how to figure out what’s causing your summer flu-like symptoms and how to deal with them.

Can You Get the Flu in the Spring or Summer?

The highest flu activity in the U.S. is usually in the winter. That’s because the flu transmits more easily in dry, cold environments. Experts think another factor for the winter spike is that people gather indoors more often.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the flu was most active in December 2023. However, it can also peak in the spring.

For six of the past 40 years, the flu hit its annual peak in March. One year, April was the month with the highest number of positive test results for the flu. Getting the flu in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer months is unlikely but possible.

So if you haven’t gotten your flu shot by March, it’s not too late to get that extra boost of protection. You can track current flu symptoms activity on the CDC’s website.

You can also get the summer flu by traveling to the Southern Hemisphere in the summer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the flu season runs from April to September.

What Are the Symptoms of the Flu?

Common flu symptoms include:

• Chills.
• Cough.
• Diarrhea or vomiting. (This is more likely to occur in children compared to adults with the flu.)
• Fatigue.
• Fever.
• Headache.
• Runny or stuffed-up nose.
• Sore muscles and joints.
• Sore throat.

What Other Viruses Cause Flu-Like Symptoms in the Summer?

Though a summer flu is technically possible, a virus other than influenza is more likely to cause your flu-like symptoms. Cold viruses like enteroviruses and adenoviruses are more likely to spread in the summer than the flu, as is COVID. Diseases that spread in the summer, like Lyme, can also cause some flu symptoms.

Enteroviruses

Enteroviruses are often the culprit behind summer colds because they spread more easily in the summer than in the winter. After rhinoviruses (which tend to spread in colder months), enteroviruses are the second most common cause of colds.

In many adults, enterovirus infections often don’t cause any symptoms or only mild cold symptoms like a runny nose and cough. But enteroviruses can cause flu-like symptoms, including muscle aches and fevers, especially in children.

Adenoviruses

Adenoviruses are another group of respiratory viruses that cause cold- and flu-like symptoms. They can cause a cough, sore throat, bronchitis, fever, pink eye, and even gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea.

Adenoviruses aren’t typically seasonal, meaning they spread throughout the year.

COVID

COVID is another possibility behind flu-like symptoms in the summer. Although COVID is more common in colder months, late spring and summer COVID outbreaks are more likely than late spring and summer flu outbreaks.

COVID and the flu are difficult to distinguish from one another based on symptoms alone. They both cause fever, chills, stomach problems, and respiratory symptoms like coughing.

One difference is that COVID can cause people to lose their sense of taste, which is unlikely with the flu. In addition, flu symptoms tend to hit people all at once, while COVID symptoms come on more gradually. (For instance, COVID may start with a slightly sore throat for a day before other symptoms hit.)

Non-respiratory viruses that cause flu-like symptoms in warmer months

Non-respiratory viruses also spread in the summer and can cause fever, body aches, and headaches. These can also be mistaken for summer flu.

For example, the West Nile virus, spread by mosquitos, causes headaches, muscle and joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, a fever, and a rash. Lyme disease, transmitted by ticks, can cause similar symptoms. These viruses don’t cause the typical respiratory symptoms of colds and flu, like a runny nose, cough, and sore throat.

If you develop a rash around the same time you get a fever, you should see a doctor for testing and treatment.

When to See a Doctor for Flu-Like Symptoms

People who have severe symptoms, elderly people, and immunocompromised people should seek testing and treatment and do so early. Medications are available to people at a high risk of complications from the flu or COVID. But they work best if taken within two days of the start of symptoms.

If you aren’t at risk of complications from respiratory viruses and don’t have severe symptoms, you can practice self-care. Focus on rest and hydration. Over-the-counter pain relievers, lozenges, and decongestants can also reduce flu and cold symptoms.

Most cold and flu symptoms start to improve after a few days and resolve completely within 10 days. If you have flu symptoms that last longer, you could have a bacterial infection or another problem that needs medical care.

You should also seek medical attention if you experience any of these symptoms:

• Chest pain.
• Confusion
• Dehydration (not urinating).
• Difficulty breathing.
• Dizziness or feeling faint.
• Fever combined with a rash.
• Flu symptoms that come back after getting better (this could suggest pneumonia).
• A high fever (above 103 degrees).
• Severe pain or weakness.
• Severe vomiting or diarrhea.
• Symptoms that last longer than 10 days.

Beyond this list, if you’re worried about any symptoms, see your doctor.