The present study extends those reports by showing that the HSV-1 virulence promotes the recruitment of CD45highLy6C+Ly6G−F4/80+CD11b+CD11c− macrophages and CD45highCD11b+F4/80−Ly6GhiLy6Cmed neutrophils infiltrates to infected cornea as early as 2-day post-infection and that this was associated with severe corneal disease. The gene discussed is ITGAM; the disease is corneal disorder.