Consistent with the colonization results showing bacterial dissemination into different tissues in mice, we found that IL-6 and MCP-1 levels in sera were also considerably higher (i.e., a cytokine storm), and body temperature was substantially lower, in mice infected with the EF::RDTND-RID or EF::RDTND-RIDC/A strain (particularly at 5 h and 7 h post-infection); these are typical signs and symptoms of bacterial sepsis (Fig. 6e–g). Here, IL6 is linked to infection.