HSV Death Cycle (IMAGE) Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Caption This illustration shows the stepwise apoptotic (a form of cell death) path that a trigeminal sensory neuron undergoes after reactivation of latent HSV. It starts at top left when the chromatin of the neuron undergoing viral reactivation begins to condense, followed by breakdown of the neuronal membrane structure (blebbing), fragmentation and cell death. The neuron cell fragments are removed by Iba1+ macrophage immune cells. Credit Cincinnati Children's Usage Restrictions Please credit Cincinnati Children's License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.