BLOOMINGTON - How many people have H1N1 in McLean County is unknown, but it's a lot more than the six confirmed cases.

"We do know there is a lot of influenza-like illness in the community and in the state," said county health department spokeswoman Jan Morris. Unless a person has been hospitalized and received a conclusive test, they aren't counted among the confirmed cases.

Because typical flu season doesn't start until late October, medical professionals assume that most people with influenza-like symptoms have the novel H1N1 virus.

Symptoms are similar to seasonal flu: fatigue, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, chills, coughing and sneezing. Some people with H1N1 also have diarrhea and vomiting. People with symptoms should call their doctor.

Everyone may reduce their risk of getting sick by washing their hands frequently and thoroughly with warm water and soap or hand sanitizer, covering their coughs and sneezes with their sleeve, cleaning high touch surfaces (doorknobs, keyboards, telephone receivers) with a household disinfectant, and staying home when they're sick. People shouldn't return to work or school until they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

Getting a seasonal flu shot is a good idea but there is a shortage of vaccine. Some pharmacies may have vaccine remaining, Morris said.

Since school resumed in mid-August, Illinois State University has had 187 students report influenza-like illness and the majority probably had H1N1, said Brent Paterson, senior associate vice president for student affairs. "These numbers would be normal in a regular flu season," Paterson said.

Dr. Glenn Weiss, director of ISU's Student Health Service, said when seasonal flu hits, the number of cases will increase.

Bloomington District 87 Superintendent Bob Nielsen said attendance at district schools has been averaging more than 90 percent. "But we're assuming that we have H1N1 in all our schools," he added.

In Normal-based Unit 5, illnesses are moving in waves, affecting some schools one week, then other schools the following week, said Dayna Brown, assistant to the superintendent.

"We do know some of our students have flu," Brown said. "We also have strep. There's a lot of illness going around that isn't flu."

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