"Anatid alphaherpesvirus 1" can only infect birds of the family Anatidae of the order Anseriformes, with the possible exception of coots. A study of lesions found in "coots (order "Gruiformes")" found similarities to DEV lesions. This could be evidence that DEV is able to "cross to different orders and families" or "adapted to new hosts." Waterfowl species have differing susceptibility to DEV, with wild fowl tending to be more resistant. Nonwaterfowl have not been shown to be infected by duck plague. Blue-winged teal have been found to be one the most susceptible species and mallards one of the least. In another it took 300,000 more virus material to infect northern pintail than to infect blue-winged teal.