BORNHOLM DISEASE

The Coxackie viruses belong to a group which cause a number of seemingly unrelated diseases.

They were named after the U.S. town where the two patients from whom the virus was first isolated lived.

Different varieties of the virus can cause meningitis or inflammation of the coverings of the brain and spinal cord.

Other illnesses are pericarditis, where the covering over the heart is involved, and an inflammation of the chest muscles and the pleura or lung covering.

This condition is called epidemic pleurodynia or Bornholm disease from the Danish island where an outbreak led to the first description of this disorder in 1934. The symptoms are those of muscle pain and tenderness of the chest wall and pain made worse by breathing.

There may be a slight fever, headache and muscular pain elsewhere as well as the chest.

The pleuritic chest pain may lead to a suspicion of other forms of pleurisy or, in the absence of fever, the chest pains may be thought to be due to strain.

Fortunately, the disease is shortlived and rarely lasts beyond two to three days. There is no specific treatment beyond aspirin to lower the temperature and reduce the pain.

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