What Is Coxsackievirus?
8. Infections of the Chest and Heart
Coxsackievirus B5 causes pleuordynia, also known as Bornholm disease or the devil’s grip. The illness is marked by sudden, acute pain in the skeletal muscles of the chest or upper middle abdomen. Pain can come and go over several days or weeks. Other symptoms include fever, sore throat, and a feeling of malaise. Complications usually do not occur, and symptoms subside as the body’s immune system eventually removes the virus.
Infrequently, various serotypes of groups A and B Coxsackievirus can spread to the heart. Pericarditis, an inflammation of the heart’s outer membrane, is marked by a sudden stabbing pain in the chest. The condition is short-lived and usually resolves on its own. Myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, is more dangerous. Symptoms include pain in the chest, arrhythmia, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, it can weaken the heart muscle and lead to heart failure.
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