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WASHINGTON (AP) — A new study finds that the way swine flu multiplies in the respiratory system is more severe than ordinary winter flu.

Tests in monkeys, mice and ferrets show that the swine flu thrives in greater numbers all over the respiratory system, including the lungs, and causes lesions, instead of staying in the head like seasonal flu.

In addition, blood tests show that many survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic seem to have immunity to the current swine flu, but not to the seasonal flu that hits every year.

Those were findings from a study by a top University of Wisconsin flu researcher that was released Monday and will be published in the journal Nature.

The researcher, Yoshishiro (yosh-ee-hero) Kawaoka (cow-a-woka), said he is more concerned about swine flu because of these results.

This fall when the flu season “recurs” (considering that it hasn’t gone away yet) should be quite interesting.

While the number of deaths attributed to flu has been quoted at approximately 36,000, the actual number of flu deaths appears to be quite a bit lower although it is hard to quantify since flu is not a reportable disease.

Influenza-associated pediatric deaths received considerable attention last year, prompting the CDC to request state and local health departments to report influenza-associated deaths in persons less than 18 years of age. As of May 31, 2004, 152 “influenza-associated deaths” in children had been reported by 40 states. [iv] Most of the children who died in last year’s flu season were younger than 5 years of age. Because no similar national data were collected previously, whether this number of pediatric deaths represents a change from previous seasons is unknown.

Interesting, hmmmm? Suppose the total amount of deaths from an average flu season isn’t 36,000 but closer to 360. Suppose you have school age children and realize that the number of deaths from flu AFTER the flu season is 211 and counting? Would that make you a bit more concerned about the upcoming flu season? I know I’ve started worrying about the granddaughter going into second grade and the grandson starting kindergarten.