Given the importance, as shown here, of NF-κB activation for establishment of latency in vivo, it is possible that initial activation of NF-κB (e.g., through virus binding and entry) may serve to promote establishment of a latent infection in the appropriate cellular context prior to expression of latency-associated viral genes that activate NF-κB. This evidence concerns the gene NFKB1 and disease arising from reactivation of latent virus.