Seasonal flu by ZIP code Influenza virus strikes communities in northern latitudes during winter, straining health care provision almost to the breaking point. Change in environmental humidity is a key driver, but many other seasonal and social factors contribute. Dalziel et al. obtained a geographical distribution of doctor visits for influenza-like illness for more than 600 U.S. cities (see the Perspective by Wallinga). Some ZIP codes regularly experienced sharply defined peaks of cases, or intense epidemics, and others showed a longer, more diffuse influenza season. The surges tended to occur in smaller cities with less residential density and lower household incomes. Larger, more densely populated cities had more-diffuse epidemics, presumably because of higher rates of personal contact, which makes influenza transmission less subject to climate variation. Science , this issue p. 75 ; see also p. 29