Transitory reduction in circulating WBCs and PLTs [attesting the BM aplastic response (Iannacone et al, 2008)] (Appendix Fig S2) and presence at day 8 post‐infection of relatively high numbers of circulating LCMV‐specific effector CD8+ T cells [attesting LCMV‐specific immunity (Iannacone et al, 2008)] were observed at comparable levels in both groups of animals (Fig 2F). This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and infection.