To determine whether continued neutralization of IL-17 after the peak of infection during clearance would significantly increase bacterial loads, mice infected with 5×105 CFU WT were treated with 100 μg of α-IL-17 monoclonal antibody (or rat IgG control antibody) on days 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 post-infection and bacterial loads were assessed on days 14 and 21. This evidence concerns the gene IL17A and infection.