In addition, President Robert B. Zoellick responded to a question from a member of the delegation at a forum for civil society groups and spoke with the delegation informally afterwards.

"Perhaps it is not as good as we might like in predicting who is at very high risk," said Dr. Richard L. Schilsky, a professor at the University of Chicago who is President of the oncology society.

"For us, it's just fun," said avian devotee Fred Bird, a past President of the Washington Ornithological Society who studies the little band of parakeets.