Rosenthal warned students not to take the sickness lightly. He said that influenza is a serious disease and has travelled west from Asia.

“Influenza is a very debilitating illness that can put you out from one week to two weeks,” he said.

The flu is a respiratory disease that can cause fever, cough, sore throat, headache, chills and muscle aches, according to aninformational sheet provided by UHS. It is contagious and is spread through the air.

Rosenthal said that last year’s onset of SARS, a disease which has very similar symptoms to the flu, provided an additional incentive for the flu vaccine.

If a patient were to show flu-like symptoms but had received the vaccine, health officials would be able to rule out the possibility of the flu and act more quickly on other potential diseases.

If SARS does return this year, this distinction will once again be useful, Rosenthal said.