More importantly, we employed PLX5622 to efficiently deplete microglia before and during the entire period of infection and found that depletion of microglia by this way increased HSV-1 lethality of mice with elevated brain levels of viral loads, infected neurons, neuron loss, CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, neutrophils, IFN-β, and IFN-γ. Here, IFNB1 is linked to infection.