Dantari flu, a contagious strain of the flu, played a role in events both early and late in galactic history. Back in 231 BBY, during the Republic Fair held on the Outer Rim planet of Valo, Kitrep Soh, who was the son of Lina Soh, the Republic Supreme Chancellor, was chatting with Rhil Dairo, a reporter, about the United in Song musical performance at the fair. Kitrep remarked on the music's infectious quality, prompting Dairo to draw a comparison to the Dantari flu. Years later, around 4 ABY, Sila Kott, a pilot serving with the Rebel Alliance, received news of the death of Lante, a woman who was once her lover. To avoid showing her grief to her comrades, Kott pretended to have Dantari flu and spent the day in bed, fondly remembering the time she shared with Lante.
Within current Star Wars canon, the first mention of Dantari flu appeared in Cavan Scott's 2021 novel, The High Republic: The Rising Storm. This novel was part of Phase I of the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project. In the alternate Star Wars Legends timeline, the Dantari flu was initially presented in "Kessel: Hell in Space," an article for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game by Wizards of the Coast. This article, penned by Cory J. Herndon, was published on Wizards.com on May 1, 2003 as a contribution to the Planet Hoppers series.