The influenza virus can spread from one person to another by attaching itself to various particulate matter, including dust and fiber debris, said American scientists, whose new study was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

As part of the study, scientists vaccinated several guinea pigs against influenza, after which they settled them in a cage completely isolated from the environment, TASS reported.

The air recirculation system in the cage was equipped with filters on which particles could settle. With the help of these filters, it was possible to understand which particles appeared in the air of the cell. In this case, it was recorded which actions of the pigs led to the settling of particles on the filters. It turned out that when the animals began to move, a lot of dust particles and scraps of various microfibers appeared in the air.

The scientists then treated the pigs' fur and skin with a solution of influenza virus particles. Thanks to the vaccination, the guinea pigs did not become infected, but they constantly released thousands of viral particles into the environment, which were attached to the surface of dust particles and fibers. And viral particles were also actively deposited on the filters.

When the filters were removed, and the recirculation system was connected to another cage, where animals were not vaccinated against the flu, the inhabitants of the second cage became infected.