MUSCATINE, Iowa — Muscatine County public health officials say they’re ready for the coming flu season, which usually hits  in November.

They are also ready to respond to the H1N1 flu virus — which, Public Health Director Mary Odell said Wednesday, has already been confirmed in the region — in the same manner they respond to seasonal flu.

The Iowa Public Health Department has decided not to track the H1N1 flu strain by county or by individuals because there are so many cases, Odell said.

“They’re doing more trending and looking regionally where there is more flu symptom activity,” she added.

The seasonal flu is also tracked by region and doctors don’t track the number of individual lab-confirmed cases because there are so many. Also, many people don’t go to the doctor when they have the flu so numbers are not 100 percent accurate.

Muscatine County and the lower eastern quadrant of the state are in region five and the Quad-Cities area is part of region six.

Odell said she will also keep track of activity in region six to keep the public up to date on flu trends that aren’t in this region.

Like seasonal flu, many people may not even realize the have the H1N1 strain because symptoms can be so minute, Odell said.

The H1N1 vaccine will be released within the next month and Muscatine will get a portion of that vaccine. People who are most susceptible are first to get the vaccine if they choose. That group includes:

— Pregnant women

— Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel

— Caregivers of children under age 6 months

— All people ages 6 months-24 years old

— Persons ages 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza

Others will be offered the vaccine if more becomes available.

No shortage of the  H1N1 vaccine is expected, but vaccine availability and demand can be unpredictable and there is some possibility that initially, the vaccine will be available in limited quantities, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Though national headlines about H1N1 have caused some to panic, Odell said it’s important for people to put things in perspective. H1N1 can be controlled by hand washing, covering sneezes and coughs and with the use of hand sanitizers. Also important is that people stay home if they experience flu-like symptoms.

“In the long run, it doesn’t make any difference if it’s H1N1, seasonal flu or some other illness; you want to prevent the virus from spreading,” Odell said. “If you have contact with an individual who has any viral illness—and then touch your face, you potentially spread that disease to yourself.”

You can also get sick by touching something that is contaminated with the flu virus.

Treatment for all flu viruses is a doctor-prescribed antiviral drug such as Tamiflu.

“The important thing is for individuals and the community not to get panicked,” Odell said. “We know it’s here.”