We don't do the avian flu. DMORT is responsible for [processing] the remains only ... they don't identify, they don't do autopsies -- those are done by local medical examiners. We aren't responsible for that.

If you start processing now and we have a cold spell in between and it starts freezing up, it's just a lot of work to keep everything liquid. Once you start processing, you like to be able to do it day after day and not have those long spells in between.

Given that HA is responsible for so much pathology in the lung, if we could identify the mechanism for how that happens and then block it, perhaps it would be useful for antiviral development. With the identification of the polymerase genes contributing to disease, that represents another set of genes that might also be a good target for prophylactic and therapeutic interventions.

Basically, we looked at a number of different likely culprits that various folks think might be responsible for this shortfall.

The debit card was a pilot program intended just for the sheltered victims in Texas and only for a limited duration. It was implemented to address the evacuees' immediate emergency needs -- food, clothing, shelter.

As hurricane seasons get more and more intense, I think people who live in the coastal areas have an increased awareness of what they need to do to prepare. No one wants to wait until the last minute.