In addition to the preventive benefits of NTHi lysate-induced StIR, we show that stimulation of lung innate immunity can be therapeutically combined with an antiviral medication after influenza infection to improve survival more than either treatment alone (Fig. 4) . In our current and prior work, we have reported only a modest survival benefit when the lysate is delivered 24 h after infection. However, we found that continuing induction of an antimicrobial inflammatory lung environment for up to 72 h potentiates the effects of high dose ribavirin and almost completely averts an otherwise uniformly fatal outcome. While Zheng and colleagues [22] recently reported improved influenza survival from 0% to 53.3% with the anti-viral/anti-inflammatory combination of zanamivir, celecoxib and mesalazine, we believe our current study to be the first to demonstrate such dramatic protection (improved from 0% to 93.3% survival) with an anti-viral combination known to induce inflammation. The seeming contradiction of these results may best be resolved by the hypothesis that the anti-inflammatory regimen diminished some toxicity associated with uncontrolled immune responses (i.e., reduced harmful inflammation) while our pro-inflammatory combination promoted the robust generation of defense effectors (i.e., enhanced protective inflammation).