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Short of never leaving the house, there really is no safe, assured way to avoid the flu in the frigid winter months. Until recently, at least. After a challenge titled the CDC Flu App Challenge, was posed by the CDC to web developers in 2011, a host of mobile and web apps have been surfacing, which provide people information on where the flu is most contagious, what might have caused local outbreaks, how to avoid those locations, what remedies to use, and even which of your friends may have contaminated you.

The first, most comprehensive flu-mapping app is Sickweather.com. Much like the weather maps we see with big white spirals to denote states hit heavily by a hurricane, Sickweather distinguishes locations that are particularly affected by illness. The application collects its data by aggregating updates posted to social media sites. If someone in  Austin writes, "I have such a bad case of the flu," Sickweather detects it and displays it, along with the countless other Facebook or Twitter users making similar confessions. Fortunately, the developers do not allow "Bieber Fever" to interfere with the accurate functioning of the code.

NEXT: Flu Near You

Flu Near You

The Flu Near You app solicits users to submit self-reports on whether they have the flu, and then inputs those reports into the larger system. With the user-based data in place, the app then delivers personalized, local maps to app-users. The app also shows nearby vaccination centers and lets users interact with public health organizations. And it's all for free! Although it seems rather small-scale and reliant on the kindness of strangers inputting their symptoms, the app has access to more data as it was created in partnership with the Healthmap of Boston Children’s Hospital and the American Public Health Association.

NEXT: Flu Defender

Flu Defender

Exceeding just the standard mapping functionality, Flu Defender is the catchall app for flu protection. It has eight distinct features. Included are "Flu Smart," which communicates important facts about the flu, "Vaccine Assistant," which administers short questionnaires, gauges your symptoms, and determines your risk for serious flu complications, and "Prevention Strategies," which suggests practical behaviors to help prevent the flu. One more fun feature is the "Symptom Identifier," an interface that allows users to tap on different body parts to see if their symptoms align with those of the flu. Sounds like an updating of the beloved classic, Operation. I wonder if "Butterflies in Stomach" points to the flu.

NEXT: Flusquare

Flusquare

Flusquare is much what you'd expect it to be. Like Foursquare, Flusquare allows users to sign in and, instead of detailing their experiences at a restaurant, they may report that they visited a restaurant while sick with the flu. This information, along with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is then open to all Flusquare users. Now you know where to get good Thai food and a phlegmatic cough.

NEXT: FluView

FluView

Developed by the CDC, FluView is the most legitimate, but borderline user-unfriendly app on the market. The idea behind this app is to pinpoint flu-like symptoms and illnesses around the nation by tracking outpatient visits in specific jurisdictions, using the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network, to which the CDC has unique access. In other words, the CDC capitalizes on their power, and so do the users of FluView.

NEXT: WheresFlu

WheresFlu (From the Makers of TheraFlu)

The makers of TheraFlu developed an up-to-the-minute flu mapping app in WheresFlu. The system stays adrift of the most current flu outbreaks and follows sickness incidence levels from week to week, updating a list of top five most affected cities in the nation. After downloading the app, you can take a syrupy sip of Theraflu and feel proud of your customer commitment.

NEXT: FluMeter

FluMeter

Based on the weather conditions, particularly the relative humidity and temperature, in your area, FluMeter evaluates your specific risk of contracting the flu. Like Flu Defender, FluMeter actually incorporates many different functions, including prevention tips, symptom-identifying assistance, and suggestions on what to do when you think you have the flu. If you think the weather

NEXT: 'Help, I Have the Flu'

'Help, I Have the Flu'

The Facebook app, "Help, I Have the Flu" is targeted at those special folks who feel personally victimized by the flu. Unlike many of the other apps synopsized here, this one reaches users primarily after they've already been infected with the flu, and it allows them to find the culprit who passed the illness along to them. Implementing coding similar to that of Sickweather.com, "Help, I Have the Flu" detects words like "sneezing," "coughing," and "flu" in your friends' updates and statuses. Even if your friend posted a picture at 3 a.m., they are considered liable to have passed the flu along to you, because they clearly weren't getting enough sleep, leaving them susceptible to the flu. The app then allows users to send the "culprit" a message, pointing the finger, and encouraging them to get better before interacting with others. It also allows more generous users to send a gift of remedies to sick friends. The vendetta route seems much more satisfying.