Inflammatory signs such as submucosal edema, surface erosion, cryptitis, inflammatory exudates and mononuclear infiltrate observed in the caeca of infected mice were associated with an increased expression of the TNFα (pro-inflammatory cytokine), CXCL-1 (neutrophil chemoattractant chemokine ligand 1), LCN-2 (antimicrobial peptide lipocalin-2) genes, the expression levels of which were also shown to be dependent upon the time of infection. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is infection.