In lethal Plasmodium yoelii YM infection, it’s plasmacytoid cells (pDCs) that sense the infection through TLR7 and produce a large amount of IFN-α and IFN-β via Myd88-dependent IFN regulatory factor (IRF) 7 transcription factor-mediated type I IFN signaling in the first 24 hours post infection (26). This evidence concerns the gene MYD88 and infection.