Late February doesn't seem like it should be prime flu season, with spring just a few weeks away, but the 2011/2012 flu season has just now officially begun.
While flu season can start as early as October and run as late as April, there hadn't been enough reported cases in the U.S. until last week, according to the CDC.
Sickness levels are continuing to rise. California has reported the most widespread flu activity so far, with other Western states close behind. States in the Northeast and Midwest are still only reporting minimal cases, according to ABC News.
But there's another surprising reason for those sniffles that's not usually seen in February: This unseasonably warm winter has caused spring allergy season to start earlier than usual.
So what do your symptoms mean? Take our quiz to find out if you've got a cold, the flu or an early bout of spring allergies.
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