Coxsackie B Infection in a General Medical Unit

Abstract

From January 1979 until December 1980, neutralizing antibody titres to Coxsackie B1-6 viruses were measured in sera from 220 patients presenting to a general medical unit, the majority of whom had chest pain. No four-fold or greater rises in antibody titre were detected in these hospital patients. However, 49 per cent had titres of ⪖256 to one or more Coxsackie B virus types compared with 10 per cent of the 950 persons studied during a ‘normal population’ survey in the West of Scotland. When a more rigorous threshold was adopted, titres ⪖512 were found in 33 per cent and 4 per cent respectively. We conclude that Coxsackie B infections are not uncommon in the practice of a general medical unit and that they may account for more cases of both acute and subacute left chest pain than is usually realised.