MATERIALS AND METHODS
Bird collections.Migratory and resident birds were captured while transiting sites on the northeastern (35.51, −115.92) and northwestern (33.46, −116.06) shores of the Salton Sea, Coachella Valley, Riverside County, CA, from 1996 through 2005. In addition, migratory transients were targeted during collections made during the springs of 2006 and 2007. Migrants and other birds also were collected during 1996 through 2008 in Kern County, primarily from wetlands at the Kern National Wildlife Refuge (35.73,) and the Kern River (35.32,. The ecology of these areas, descriptions of arbovirus activity, and bird sampling methods have been described previously. 20,23 Briefly, birds were collected using multiple mist nets and grain-baited traps. Mist nets were 10 m long × 2.5 m tall and had 28-, 32-, or 60-mm mesh depending on the target species. Captured birds were banded with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) bands, aged, sexed, and a 0.1 mL sample of blood collected from the jugular vein with 28-g needles. For antibody detection, blood samples were expelled into 0.9 mL of 0.9% saline solution, clarified through centrifugation, and stored at −70°C. During 2004During , 2006During , and 2007 blood samples from migratory species collected in Coachella Valley were expelled into 0.4 mL of virus diluent (phosphate buffered saline, 15% fetal bovine sera, antibiotics) and tested for infectious virus and antibody. Data from the California WNV Dead Bird Surveillance Program 24 on neotropical migrants that were found dead by the public, sent for necropsy, and tested positive for WNV RNA were included for comparison.Experimental infection. Abstract. Each spring large numbers of neotropical migrants traversing the Pacific flyway pass through the Coachella Valley enroute to northern destinations, providing an opportunity to test the hypothesis that mosquito-borne encephalitis viruses are introduced annually into California by migratory birds. A total of 5,632 sera were collected from 43 species of migrants during spring (April-June), of which 34 (0.61%) comprised of 14 species tested positive by enzyme immunoassay; only 10 were confirmed by plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNT). In addition, of 1,109 migrants comprised of 76 species that were reported dead by the public and necropsied, 126 (11%) were positive for West Nile virus (WNV) RNA; however, only three (0.7%) of 428 birds tested during the spring were positive. Limited experimental infection studies with WNV showed that Orange-crowned Warblers were highly susceptible and frequently died, whereas most Yellow Warblers survived. Our results indicated that birds entering California rarely exhibited a history of infection and that most birds probably became infected after entering California.