IFNA1 and infection: Determination of the relative contribution of suppressing ISG expression via host shut-off or the direct inhibition of JAK-STAT signaling needs further experimentation, but during infections in vertebrates these may well complement each other and be necessary for establishing and sustaining a transmissible infection, given that even with all these viral countermeasures the IFN response is still regarded as the main driver behind viral clearance [78].