Orthomyxoviruses are transmitted through the aerosol-respiratory route. Virus particles called virions bud from the membranes of epithelial surfaces of the the respiratory tract. They are then transferred through the air within liquid droplets as a person sneezes, coughs, and even talks. The envelopes help the virions survive outside of the host's body until they enter another host. The virions enter a host through the mucousal membranes of the respiratory tract.
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