In general, depending on the specifics of the virus, lactoferrin prevents infection of the target cell by either 1) interfering with the attachment factor or 2) by binding to host cell molecules that the virus uses as a receptor or co-receptor (competition) or 3) by direct binding to virus particles, as described for herpesvirus Harmsen et al. (1995), polio- and rotavirus Superti et al. (2001) and McCann et al. (2003) and possibly human immunodeficiency virus Puddu et al. (1998). This evidence concerns the gene LTF and infection.