EPIDEMIC PLEURODYNIA (BORNHOLM DISEASE) DUE TO COXSACKIE B-5 VIRUS

Abstract

During the months of July to October, 1958, a widespread outbreak of epidemic pleurodynia (Bornholm disease) occurred in Southern Ontario. In this epidemic three main disease entities were encountered: epidemic pleurodynia, acute benign pericarditis and aseptic meningitis, alone or in combination. Sixty-nine patients were studied at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, and viral studies were carried out for many of them. Five of seven patients with pericarditis had associated pleurodynia, and seven patients had associated pleurodynia and aseptic meningitis. The clinical features of each of the three major entities encountered are presented. Viral studies point to Coxsackie B5 virus as the common etiologic agent in the various disease entities encountered in this outbreak. It seems likely that the Coxsackie B viruses may be important etiologic agents in acute benign pericarditis. Chronic constrictive pericarditis occurred as an end-result in one of the patients with acute benign pericarditis.