SARS may currently dominate the headlines, but the Whyfiles takes another look at another fast-spreading viral disease: West Nile. West Nile has spread to 44 US states and beyond, and while it can be fatal to humans, it remains primarily a bird disease. The Whyfiles offers an in-depth exploration of West Nile in North American birds, tackling the questions "How far? How fast? What's next? Who's...

John H. Rappole and colleagues wrote this perspective article (for Emerging Infectious Diseases) on the potential implications of the spread of West Nile Virus by migrating birds. Although ornithophilic mosquitoes are the principal vectors of West Nile virus (in the Old World), several species of birds (mainly migrants) appear to be important introductory or amplifying hosts. Patterns of virus...