Depletion of CD8+ cells before and during PbA infection (α-CD8 antibodies administered on days -1, 0, +4 and +6 of infection; full course) or just prior to the expected onset of neurological signs (α-CD8 antibodies administered on Days +4 and +6 of infection; late) completely abrogated the development of ECM in both α-CTLA-4-treated (Figure 6A) and α-PD-L1-treated (Figure 6B) mice; instead, CD8-depleted mice developed severe anaemia and were euthanised significantly later than non-depleted mice. This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and anemia.