BLOOMINGTON - McLean County Health Department will be among health departments receiving anti-viral medicine to treat H1N1 flu, also called swine flu, the health department's Bree Davis said Thursday.

The medicine treats H1N1 flu; it is not a vaccine to reduce the risk of getting flu, Davis explained. The medicine will be kept in storage until it is needed and until the health department receives guidelines for usage, Davis added.

The medicine is from the country's Strategic National Stockpile. U.S. health and homeland security officials have released a quarter of the stockpile to be shipped to every state.

On Thursday, Illinois National Guard members repackaged the supplies into smaller shipments and they were being distributed Thursday night by Illinois Department of Transportation trucks to state facilities across Illinois.

The shipment will include the area's first supply of anti-viral medicines as well as more Tamiflu and Relenza - which may reduce the intensity and duration of flu if taken within a day or two of symptoms appearing - and more surgical masks for sick people, and gloves and gowns for health care providers and first responders, Davis said.

As of late Thursday, there were no confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in Central Illinois. All 17 probable cases of H1N1 flu were in the northeastern Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry, Davis said.

Health officials continued to urge residents to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water and use alcohol-based hand cleaners, cough and sneeze into their sleeves and stay home if they are sick.

People who have flu symptoms - sudden onset of muscle aches, fatigue, headache and high fever - are urged to see a doctor as soon as possible. Prescription medicine may reduce the intensity and duration of flu.

In addition, doctors must report flu cases to public health officials, Davis said.