Construction of a recombinant mouse polyomavirus (MuPyV) carrying two loxP sites. Cre recombinase expression reduces acute and persistent infection levels of MuPyV-loxP. Expansion of virus-specific CD8 T cells is blunted with Cre induction in acutely infected mice. Cre induction in persistently infected mice improves memory CD8 T cell recall responses.