Type I IFNs represent one of the host's most important antiviral defense mechanisms. The type I IFN family comprises different IFN-a subtypes, a single IFN-b and other less well characterized proteins [11] . All IFN-a species and IFN-b interact with the same IFN-ab cellular receptor, the activation of which mediates a wide range of direct and indirect innate antiviral or antimicrobial effects and modulates the antiviral adaptive immune response [12, 13, 14] .