In this study, both C57BL/6 mice (WT) and TLR7 KO mice were infected with S. japonicum. The survival results showed that the majority of infected mice did not die before 6 weeks post infection, while approximately half of TLR7 KO mice died within 6 weeks post infection, indicating that TLR7 may protect the host from death in the early phase of S. japonicum infection. Here, TLR7 is linked to infection.