On one hand, mice deficient in CXCR3 succumb faster to HSV-2 infection; on the other hand, HSV-1-infected mice lacking CXCR3 are protected from fatal encephalitis (Thapa and Carr 2009; Zimmermann et al. 2017), indicating a mouse strain and tissue-specific role of CXCR3 (Lundberg et al. 2007). Here, CXCR3 is linked to viral encephalitis.