Becton Dickinson quarterly earnings helped by early flu season

Feb 5 (Reuters) - Becton Dickinson and Co reported higher quarterly earnings on Tuesday, boosted by an early flu season.

Net earnings were $625.4 million, or $3.13 per diluted share, in the first quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with $263.0 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, a year earlier.

Revenue rose 3.7 percent to $1.90 billion, led by sales in the company's Bioscience unit, which sells research and clinical instruments and other tools used in research.