SNCA and infection: Previous studies have shown that encephalitic infection can induce the formation of α-synuclein aggregation following infection in humans and mice.27–30 To determine how infection with WEEV could modulate the aggregation of α-synuclein in outbred CD-1 mice, we examined brain sections from infected and control mice for expression of α-synuclein phosphorylated at Serine 129 (P129), a marker of the aggregated form of the protein.31 Selected sections were also treated with proteinase K to assess the formation of insoluble α-synuclein plaques.