Key message
Acute systemic virus infections activate quiescent hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow depending on the dose and the severity of the infection, and also already subsided, non-acute infections are able to long-lastingly impair stem cell function upon transplantation.
Translational perspective
The results suggest that bone marrow donors in clinics should be examined and selected more carefully with regard to their infection history to guarantee an optimal fitness of their hematopoietic stem cells upon transplantation.