Treatment of male mice with PAM3CSK4, synthetic triacylated, lipopeptide (a TLR2-specific ligand), at the time of infection abrogates the mortality normally associated with coxsackievirus infection, whereas female mice treated with ultrapure LPS, a TLR4 specific ligand, at day 3 post infection resulted in much greater mortality than observed in female mice treated with virus and PBS alone. The gene discussed is TLR2; the disease is infection.