What is "Coxsackie Virus"? A virus that grows in the gut, especially in the last part of the small intestine, colon, or in the throat, mild or severe symptoms may occur. The infection is often aborted after a few days when the body has developed adequate immune defense mechanisms and has arrested the virus growth--at least by making antibody that neutralize the newly formed viruses.
If the viruses are not arrested in the first phase, these offenders will grow further and enter the blood stream to "seed" other organs of the body. The symptoms may subside temporarily, and patients would often return to exercise thinking the "flu" is over.
Depending on the particular virus, different areas of the body will be affected. These viruses like to go to the brain and other parts of the nervous system, heart, muscles, skin, pancreas, liver and practically any other organ of the body. Some are caught by our white blood cells (monocytes) that carried the viruses into different tissues/organs.
A number of CVBand ECV can infect muscles causing significant muscle pain or weakness of the involved areas. The involvement is usually greater in patients who are physically active. CPK, a muscle enzyme, is often elevated during the acute infection and remains elevated over several weeks to months. In the Spring and Fall, these viruses frequently cause viral meningitis. Conjunctivitis, pancreatitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, hepatitis, parotitis (involvement of the salivary gland) are few other examples. When the immune defense mechanisms start to deal with viruses lodged in tissues/organs, a myraid of symptoms can occur depending on the site of involvement. Normally, the immune system has a self-control mechanism for controlling the angry immune response so to fine-tune the attack on the virus. Excessive exercise, stress and steroid treatment may shift the balance to TH2/TH1 predoninance that would weaken the immune attack and contribute to the persistence of virus. If the immune response is adequate to arrest the growth of viruses in the second phase, the inflammation response and symptoms will subside. This phase may last two-weeks to a few months.
Most of the enteroviral infections are self-limited. In patients with known problems with their immune system, these viruses can persist and cause major tissue damage.
There is no vaccine, medication, or treatments for enteroviruses.
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A Devil in Desguise
About Me
- Robin said. . .
- I'm a 47 year old woman, mother, daughter and sister. I've been ill with my virus for over three years. I was always a healthy, energetic, active person. . .until I got sick with Coxsackie B 3 Virus. Since the initial infection, I've become bed-ridden almost daily (for weeks to months at a time), I cannot sit up without difficulty and I now walk with a cane. I have no energy level whatsoever. Physical exertion increases activity of this hidden virus, which increases my fever and causes extreme Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There are days (many, many) where I wish I were no longer alive. I'd appreciate your input, comments, stories and/or any treatments that you may have tried.
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