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Myocarditis seems to be mostly caused by a viral infection or more rarely by a pharmacological hypersensitivity or by radiations exposure. Nevertheless, it is not so easy to know the ethiopathogenesis of the myocarditis, because mostly it is impossible to determine the infectious agent that causes the pathology even if it is isolated. The diagnosis could often remain uncertain, so a suspect of myocarditis has to be opportunely confirmed by specific serological and diagnostic investigations, in order to avoid the appearance of a dilated cardiomyopathy which is one of its principal sequences.

A case of non-specific febrile illness by Coxsackievirus A 16 (CA 16) in a 6-day-old newborn whose mother had developed hand, foot and mouth disease manifestations 2 days after delivery is reported. Notwithstanding the concurrence of negative circumstances like the presence of the enterovirus genome in the cerebrospinal fluid, absence of type specific neutralizing antibody and a few days of life, the newborn recovered 3 days after the onset of fever. This case, also characterized by the absence of mucosal and cutaneous erythematous manifestations typical of CA16 infection, draws attention to the possibility that non-specific febrile illness in newborns usually suspected of bacterial origin may have an enteroviral cause.

Neutralizing antibody activity against Coxsackie virus group B, types 1-6, was determined on paired serum samples taken from 16 hospitalized patients affected by acute heart diseases of suspected viral origin. Serum samples were also taken from 4 additional cases of pleuropericarditis observed in the course of a small outbreak of Coxsackie B2 infection. Serological evidence of virus infection was based on the occurrence of the following conditions: a) twofold or greater variation of virus neutralizing antibody; b) antibody titers equal to or greater than 1:256. Evidence of Coxsackie B2 virus infection was found in 12 patients, while Coxsackievirus B1, B3, B5 and B6 infection, respectively, could be associated with 4 cases. The advisability of performing serological examination for Coxsackie group B viruses antibodies in patients with heart diseases of suspected viral origin is emphasized.