Surprisingly, rapidly after infection (2 dpi), Lepr-deficient, T2DM mice exhibit an increased expression of IFNβ, but not IFNα, with apparent activation of JAK and phosphorylation of STAT1 (pSTAT1) leading to the expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Here, IFNB1 is linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus.