Coxsackie VirusMedical Author:
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhDDr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications. Medical Editor:
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACRDr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
What is Coxsackie virus?Coxsackie virus is a member of the Picornaviridae family of viruses in the genus termed Enterovirus. Coxsackie viruses are subtype members of Enterovirus that have a single strand of ribonucleic acid (RNA) for its genetic material. The Enteroviruses are also referred to as picornaviruses (pico means "small," so, "small RNA viruses"). Coxsackie virus was first isolated from human feces in the town of Coxsackie, New York, in 1948 by G. Dalldorf. Coxsackie virus is also written as coxsackievirus. What are the types of Coxsackie viruses, and what can they cause?Coxsackie viruses are separable into two groups, A and B, which are based on their effects on newborn mice (Coxsackie A results in muscle injury, paralysis, and death; Coxsackie B results in organ damage but less severe outcomes.) There are over 24 different serotypes of the virus (having distinct proteins on the viral surface). Coxsackie viruses infect host cells and cause host cells to break open (lyse). Type A viruses cause herpangina (painful blisters in the mouth, throat, hands, feet, or in all these areas). Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is the common name of this viral infection. Coxsackie A 16 causes the majority of HFMD infections in the U.S. It usually occurs in children (age 10 and under), but adults can also develop the condition. This childhood disease should not be confused with the "foot and mouth disease" usually found in animals with hooves (for example, cattle, pigs, and deer). Type A also causes conjunctivitis (inflammation of the eyelids and white area of the eye). Type B viruses cause epidemic pleurodynia (fever, lung, and abdominal pain with headache that lasts about two to 12 days and resolves). Pleurodynia is also termed Bornholm disease. There are six serotypes of Coxsackie B (1-6, with B 4 considered by some researchers as a possible cause of diabetes in a number of individuals). Both types of viruses (A and B) can cause meningitis, myocarditis, and pericarditis, but these occur infrequently from Coxsackie infections. Some researchers suggest Coxsackie virus (mainly Coxsackie B4) has a role in the development of acute onset type I (formerly known as juvenile) diabetes, but this relationship is still under investigation. Patient CommentsViewers share their comments
Coxsackie Virus - Symptoms
Question: What symptoms did you experience with your coxsackievirus infection?
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