Expression of short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting IKKα and IKKβ in the context of a viral mutant lacking miR-US5-1 and miR-UL112-3p is able to restore proinflammatory cytokine production to levels observed during WT virus infection, indicating that the observed phenotype is due to targeting of IKKα and IKKβ and not other known or unknown miRNA-targeted proteins. This evidence concerns the gene CHUK and viral infectious disease.