Compared to the CEP (type III) strain, both CEP-TgROP18I, and CEP-TgROP18II infection showed significant STAT3 activation in HaCaT cells, but no significant difference existed between CEP-TgROP18I, and CEP-TgROP18II infection (Fig. 6 This result indicated that both type I and type II ROP18 could similarly activate STAT3 in HaCaT cells. Here, STAT3 is linked to infection.