Cardiovascular diseases due to viruses.

In acute myocardiopathy and pericardiopathy, Coxsackie virus B infections are increasingly recognized as a cause of primary myocardial disease and may cause chronic cardiovascular disease. With other viruses, such as cytomegaloviruses and rubella virus, transplacental infection during pregnancy may occur, and this can cause the congenital rubella syndrome, which involves heart abnormalities. Other viruses are now under study. Myocarditis was observed in a newborn infant infected with Coxsackie virus B3, which was isolated by tissue culture methods. Experimental infection of Coxsackie virus A and B was studied in suckling mice and the histopathologic changes in heart muscle were observed. Laboratory findings of viral infection are very useful for clinical diagnosis, however care needs to be taken with respect to the obtaining of specimens, diagnostic procedures, and the assessment of results.