NEW YORK (AP) - A rare African strain of encephalitis that has already killed four people around New York City could spread to other parts of the country as infected birds fly south for the winter, health officials said Tuesday. The virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes that have bitten infected birds. New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut have been spraying pesticides to kill mosquitoes, and scientists in southern states are testing dead birds there for the virus. The African strain has never before been seen in the Western Hemisphere. So far there is no evidence the virus has spread outside the New York City area, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not made any recommendation as to what other states should do.

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