CRP and infection: As shown in Fig. 3, cross sectional analysis demonstrated that the levels of sCD14, CRP, sCD163 and sTF started decreasing from days 15–30 (second order model polynominal fit curve, sCD14, R = 0.38, AICc = 201.2, Difference in AICc = − 12.82; CRP, R = 0.30, AICc = 227.3, Difference in AICc = − 6.32; sCD163, R = 0.37, AICc = 442.2, Difference in AICc-2.2 and sTF, R = 0.46, AICc = − 653, Difference in AICc-12.11 by Akaike’s Information Criterion) till 151 days after infection.