EROS deficiency leads to profound susceptibility to bacterial infection but protects mice from infection with influenza A. This is likely to reflect the fact that mice that are (i) deficient in gp91phox, (ii) deficient in P2X7, and (iii) treated with P2X7 inhibitors have improved outcomes following infection with influenza A and raises intriguing questions about the physiological role of EROS. This evidence concerns the gene P2RX7 and bacterial infectious disease.