A harmless sounding disease that has the patient in the "devil's grip".
Bornholm disease, aka Devil's Grip or epidemic pleurodynia is an acute infection with the enterovirus Coxsackie B that attacks the striated muscles and causes acute chest - and abdominal pain associated malaise and high temperatures.
The infection, which might be spreading epidemically in communities, is seasonal, with 90% happening in late summer and early fall. Children are especially vulnerable and half of the patients under 15 are actually younger than 5 years old.
Due to the possible complications like myocarditis the mortality rates in infants under 4 weeks are quite high at 10%.
Incubation time is 1 week, during which the virus finds the target organs and starts to do his destructive work. In adults the disease is easily misdiagnosed as a heart attack, pleurisy or pneumonia.
Humans are the only known reservoir of the enteroviruses, transmission occurs via the fecal-oral route. Potential risk factors for the transmission of the enteroviruses are poor sanitation and overcrowding.
Intrafamilial spread is common, so better wash your hands regularly.