Interestingly, IL6 (along with other Hh target genes discussed above) was present at comparatively higher levels in animals infected with the more pathogenic virus carrying the A122V point mutation in NS1, thus we speculate that the hastened lethality caused by the mutant virus may be due, in part, to a Hh-dependent over-production of cytokines (often called cytokine storms), which have been thought to be the cause of past influenza pandemics [118]. Here, IL6 is linked to influenza.