John Rappole and his colleagues at the Smithsonian Institution's zoo in Front Royal, Virginia, have calculated that the virus would spread far and wide from New York if there were susceptible migratory birds congregating on mosquito-infested wetlands nearby. In this month's issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, they and Hubalek report that there are 77 migratory species there, including ducks, starlings, terns and gulls, capable of carrying the virus. Another outbreak could occur anywhere there are enough infected birds, possibly this summer. Then mosquito spraying can be targeted to protect people. McLean's proposals to screen birds in the coming months have not yet been funded.
Caged chickens are less likely to encounter infected mosquitoes than free-range birds.