-HSV-1 is the primary cause of neonatal and sporadic encephalitis; it is associated with a 70% mortality rate in the absence of treatment, and only a minority of patients return to normal function.
-There are a large number of new and recurrent episodes of HSV eye infection worldwide annually, most commonly manifesting
as keratitis.
-Moreover, HSV infection of the eye can lead to blindness if the virus spreads to a deeper layer of the cornea.