Diary Prequel Package — page 142

nse and SN1 April 3, 2006 - Over the past 2 weeks, there has been continued medium-high interest in the ever expanding bird flu situation with a constant low-level stream of new human cases and more countries getting either migratory birds or chicken flocks infected. Current number are 188 infected and 103 dead. Recently, there has been migratory birds (mostly swans) infected with H5N1 detected in Western Europe. France as only country with some domesticated chickens and turkeys infected. They quickly handled it by culling. Other countries such as Italy had migratory bird(s) infected, but no chickens and still chicken sales in supermarkets and restaurants has plummeted by as much as 50 to 60%. My prediction is that infected migratory birds may (not definitely) make it to USA and that there will be very little contamination of chickens because of the agriculture controls. Yet, it will affect (by misperception) the chicken industry. There has been some backlash among people in press about the over-hyping of the threat. I am in good shape here since I have always maintained that the threat, although non-quantifiable, is likely low. This is in contrast to others such as Rob Webster, who says that there is a 50% chance that we will have a bird flu pandemic among humans with H5N1!!! I have no idea how he came up with that number. Also, my friend Michael Osterholm is also singing doom and gloom. April 6, 2006 - Had dinner with Tara O'Toole of the Univ of Pittsburg Biodefense Program. She had just testified at the BioShield Hearing on the Hill and wanted to get my perspective on how things were going with the Biodefense effort and if there was anything that she could do for me. I explained to her that the reason the current BioShield effort was not successful was that the Congress did not approve the Bill that I and VP Cheney and Scooter Libby had originally proposed. The Congress limited the money to $5.6 Billion instead of an unlimited authorization to draw from the Treasury and the Appropriations Committees still controlled how much could be spent each year. Also, we could not do advanced development for products. This put off the big companies (not enough money) and the little companies (advanced development) and so the process has not been entirely successful. We are attracting marginal companies like VaxGen that cannot get to the goal post. April 8, 2006 - Attended the Annual Gala of the National Hospice Foundation at the Hilton Hotel on Connecticut Avenue, N.W. where I presented the Global Vision Award to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. At my table were Holbrooke, Margaret Warner from the NewsHour, her husband John Reilly, Ann Morgan Vickery and Bob Kyle of Hogan and Harston. Usual gala-like atmosphere. Has a chance to catch up with Richard Holbrooke, who is currently the President and CEO of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS. We reminisced about our trip to Africa with Tommy Thompson in 2003. May 2, 2006 - Dedicated Building 33 as the C.W. Bill Young Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases. Terrific ceremonies with speakers being: me, EZ, Secretary Leavitt, Ralph Regula, Bill Young. Tour of building, many festivities, beautiful sunny day. May 24, 2005 - Have had continual trickling in of cases of human infections with H5N1 with most recent count of 218 cases and 124 deaths. Fifty countries now have birds