Robins Are the Main Host in North America

Which bird is the main host for West Nile virus has to do with many factors:

• The interaction between the virus and the bird’s cells, which determines how well the virus replicates;
• How accessible the bird is to the mosquito vector, which depends on the bird’s abundance, where it lives, and whether it has defensive behaviors to protect it from getting bitten; and
• The mosquito feeding preferences.