False-colour transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of an individual herpes simplex virus particle, coloured orange, about to be ejected from the cytoplasm (blue) of the cell which it has infected. Herpes simplex is a DNA virus of icosahedral capsid symmetry and is a common parasite of humans, causing a variety of infections, including whitlows and cold sores of mouth & genitalia. Genital herpes, attributed to herpes simplex type 2 virus, is one of the sexually-transmitted diseases least amenable to treatment, and has been implicated in the development of cancer of the cervix in women. Magnification: x75,000 at 35mm size.