ELF3 and infection: In the study reported here, microscopic necrotic cell death of murine BMDM was observed at 24 h after infection with an moi of 3 R. equi (results not shown), which is consistent with the documented observation that R. equi contains an esx gene cluster encoding ESAT-6 and CFP-10 which are important in virulence and pathogenesis, including necrotic cell death and bacterial release [42, 43].