However, aberrant lymphocyte proliferation in the periphery after day 3 post infection, as well as histopathologic manifestations in the spleen and liver tissues, suggests that this cytokine storm, along with increased viral replication in particular spleen immune cell subsets, might ultimately lead to a detrimental immunopathogenic process in infected stat1loxP/loxP/Vav-cre mice. This evidence concerns the gene VAV1 and infection.