The faster clearance of Hi2019ΔdmsA was associated with reduced expression of the pro-inflammatory markers IL6, TNFα and IL1β in mouse lung tissue, with expression levels returning to near baseline by 48 h p.i. In contrast, for infections with the wildtype strain, expression of these genes was still elevated at 72 h p.i. (Figures 1B–D). Here, IL6 is linked to infection.