Is it safe to host a get-together when H1N1 flu threatens to crash your party?

It's a question many people may be asking this year as the fall party season coincides with an anxiety-provoking flu season.

The good news is that while it is true mingling over punch and canapes can help spread the flu virus, health and entertaining experts say it's possible to throw a party without making everyone wear surgical masks and hazmat suits.

It's a question of managing risk.

``Party. Party cautiously,'' advises Dr. Stephen Morse, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. That means keep things clean, be careful with finger food, forget the punch bowl and, as Christmas approaches, the mistletoe.

And remember to have fun.

``Just like we say with terrorists, you really don't want to let the flu win,'' said Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

Flu is spread mainly through coughing or sneezing, though people also can be infected by touching something with viruses on it and then touching their mouths or noses. So basic common-sense rules apply for parties.

Do not throw a party or attend a party if you have a fever, cough or other flu symptoms. Keep your hands clean. Cough and sneeze into your elbow. Take steps to make sure guests do the same. Party planners suggest placing bottles of hand sanitizer and tissues in plain view.

``Obviously, the nature of parties is all about mixing and mingling, and that's about the opposite of what people tell you to do as far as the flu season,'' said Jennifer Sbranti, founder of hostesswiththemostess.com. ``But it's really all about taking some precautions.''

Here are tips:

Avoid offering chips, candies, nuts or any food in big, open bowls into which people could reach their potentially contaminated hands.

``A hand going into a bowl is not a good thing,'' said Doron.

Instead, consider serving individual portions of hors d'oeuvres such as peanuts or cheese cubes on little pleated paper cups or small appetizer plates, said Denise Vivaldo, author of The Entertaining Encyclopedia: Essential Tips for Hosting the Perfect Party.

Sbranti suggests serving crudités in little glass votive candle holders, salads in tiny Chinese food-style takeout containers or paper snow cone cups.

Espresso cups and ramekins work well for desserts, says Jennifer Iannolo, chief executive officer of culinarymedianetwork.com.

``I would recommend having fun with it,'' said Iannolo.

Sbranti said hosts might want to plate and serve the food instead of laying out a buffet.

And consider leaving the punch bowl in the closet. Dipping used cups into a communal bowl is never a great idea, flu season or no. Ladles lessen risk, but punch bowls still offer a large surface area for germs to land on.

Make sure your guests can keep track of their drink glasses. Party supply stores offer wine charms to hook around glass stems and stretchable colored bands that fit around beer bottles.

And don't expect miracles. Being in proximity to people -- on a bus, in the office, at a party -- simply has inherent risks.

``Probably the greater danger is people getting together when they talk to each other,'' Morse said. ``If someone has the flu, they will undoubtedly through close contact give it to others far more than food. Though you obviously want to be careful.''

Perhaps the hardest party trick for a host during flu season is simultaneously taking health precautions and making guests feel welcome. Potential problems start at hello.

Doron suggests avoiding handshakes and perhaps opting for a friendly elbow bump instead.

Anna Post, an etiquette expert at the Emily Post Institute, said guests who are leery of shaking hands can offer polite words instead, something like: ``Excuse me for not shaking hands, but it's great to meet you.'' The same approach can be taken to avoid pecks on the cheek.

As for holiday mistletoe, a kiss on the lips likely presents a higher risk for virus transmission than mere cheek kissing. Though Morse notes, ``someone you're willing to kiss on the lips is someone you're willing to take a chance with the flu.''

Hosts could head off some problems by adding a sentence to invitations asking that people with signs of being contagious refrain from attending, says Doron. But Post says people should trust their guests to make the right decisions.

``If you're really that concerned about being sick,'' Post said, ``you probably shouldn't be throwing a party.''

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