What is Bornholm disease?
Bornholm disease, also known as Bornholm’s disease or devil’s claw, is a disease caused by a virus that causes pain in the lower thorax. This is due to irritation of the lung skin, which is typical of Bornholm disease. Fever and redness in the throat area are also common.
Bornholm disease is very contagious and often affects children. It is usually self-limiting, so the symptoms disappear after a few days. Treatment includes antipyretic medication and localised heat in the chest area.
I recognize Bornholm disease from these symptoms
The symptoms of Bornholm disease usually start very suddenly. After the infection it usually takes 1-2 weeks until the first symptoms appear. There are typical signs of an infectious disease, including fever and chills.
Sometimes disorders of the digestive tract with nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea also occur. These can be pronounced to varying degrees. Typical for Bornholm disease is the stabbing sensation in the lower part of the chest.
The irritation of the lung skin is responsible for this pain. It is usually described as severe and stabbing and can be accompanied by other symptoms such as shortness of breath. Occasionally they can also occur in other parts of the body, such as the upper abdomen or around the shoulders.
Usually the disease lasts between 4 days and 2 weeks, after which the symptoms disappear by themselves. This is also known as self-limiting. In rare cases, for example in the case of a pre-existing weakness of the immune system, complications can occur. These include inflammation of the pericardium, peritoneum and meninges.
Causes
Bornholm disease is an infectious disease and is caused by a virus. This virus belongs to the type of Coxsackie viruses, which can cause, for example, hand-foot-mouth disease. The disease occurs mainly in late summer and early autumn. During this period the conditions for the virus are particularly favourable and it can spread easily and quickly. The virus that causes Bornholm disease is transmitted from person to person and is highly contagious.
Course of disease Bornholm disease
The course of Bornholm Disease is usually quite good and the disease is often mild. The symptoms subside 4 days to 2 weeks after the onset of the disease. They can vary in severity depending on the immune system of the affected person. In most cases, there is stabbing pain in the lower thorax, but only rarely does the pain manifest itself in other parts of the body. Complications also occur only rarely and in immunocompromised persons, but must then be recognised and treated at an early stage.
How contagious is Bornholm disease?
Bornholm disease is very contagious and often affects children. The virus that causes the disease can be transmitted from person to person, for example through contact with the contaminated stool of an already ill person. Another possibility of infection is indirect transmission through contaminated food or water. However, this is much rarer. Bornholm Disease is also so infectious because an infected person can remain infectious for a very long time, even after the end of the disease.
