New research reveals how herpes simplex 1 hide from the immune system.

The discovery is significant because it offers new information about how the virus affects processes in the cell rather than the immune system.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK, and two German institutions: the Julius-Maximilians- Universität Würzburg and the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, report their findings in the journal Nature Communications.

They describe how HSV-1 inserts its DNA into our cell DNA, takes over and disrupts the production of cell proteins while using it to make perfect versions of its own proteins.
Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is very common and usually harmless. Most people become infected by their early 20s, and after the first infection, the virus remains dormant in the facial nerve tissues.
Now and again, the virus flares up and causes mild cold sore symptoms. But there are also cases where HSV-1 can lead to life-threatening disease. For instance, in intensive care units, it can cause severe lung problems.
And even in healthy people, there are rare instances where HSV-1 can spontaneously cause inflammation of the brain, resulting in irreversible brain damage.
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