Beware! After a child has a cold, this virus may quietly “attack” the heart! 

Recently, a study from northern Greece sounded the alarm: a seemingly ordinary virus, parvovirus B19, can actually cause severe myocarditis in children, even endangering their lives! This study, published in Pediatric Investigation, reminds us that we must not ignore the potential risks of children’s “colds”.

What is myocarditis? Can the heart catch a cold?

Myocarditis, as the name suggests, is an inflammation of the myocardium (heart muscle). Imagine that the heart is like a tireless pump that pumps blood to the whole body day and night. Once the myocardium is inflamed, the power of this “pump” will be greatly reduced, and in severe cases it may even lead to heart failure and endanger life.

There are many causes of myocarditis, among which viral infection is one of the common causes. The protagonist of this study, parvovirus B19, is a virus that may cause myocarditis.

Parvovirus B19: A “heart killer” disguised as a “cold”?

Parvovirus B19 is a common childhood virus that is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets. After infection, children may experience mild flu-like symptoms, such as fever, joint pain, and the most characteristic “slap-like” rash – red cheeks, like being slapped.

Because these symptoms are very similar to the common cold, they are easily ignored by parents. However, as this study reveals, parvovirus B19 can sometimes “quietly” attack the heart and cause severe myocarditis.

Research finds: How does parvovirus B19 “attack” the heart?

The study, led by Dr. Filippos-Paschalis Rorris of the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in Athens, Greece, reports five cases of preschool children in the Thessaloniki area in northern Greece who developed myocarditis after being infected with parvovirus B19.

Unlike some other viruses that directly infect myocardial cells, parvovirus B19 mainly attacks the endothelial cells lining the coronary arteries. Coronary arteries are important blood vessels responsible for supplying blood to the heart. Once endothelial cells are damaged, it will lead to reduced blood flow to the heart, which will cause myocardial dysfunction.

In this study, all children developed left ventricular failure, a serious manifestation of myocarditis. One of the children even suffered a cardiac arrest and did not survive. The other four children also had abnormalities in indicators such as N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), troponin I (TnI), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Abnormalities in these indicators all point to severe damage to heart function.

How to detect myocarditis caused by parvovirus B19 early?

Since the initial symptoms of parvovirus B19 infection are atypical and can be easily mistaken for the common cold, early detection of myocarditis is very important. Parents need to pay close attention to their children’s “cold” and be alert if the following symptoms occur:

Continuous high fever; listlessness, loss of appetite; shortness of breath, chest tightness, chest pain; pale complexion, cyanosis of lips; rapid or irregular heartbeat; abdominal pain, vomiting and other digestive tract symptoms. Once any one or more of the above symptoms appear, the child should be taken to the doctor immediately for a detailed examination, including electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, etc., so as to make a clear diagnosis as soon as possible and provide timely treatment.

Significance of the research: Promoting more accurate diagnosis and treatment

This study not only reveals the association between parvovirus B19 and myocarditis in children, but also provides an important reference for future diagnosis and treatment. The researchers pointed out that although cardiac biopsy is the “gold standard” for diagnosing myocarditis, it is somewhat invasive for children. Therefore, they hope to use non-invasive examinations such as cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) combined with PCR to detect the presence of parvovirus in the blood to more accurately diagnose myocarditis in children.

In addition, researchers are also curious about the sudden escalation of the disease caused by the virus in specific areas, believing that this may be related to the increased toxicity of the virus. This suggests that we need to strengthen the monitoring of virus mutations in order to better respond to possible epidemics.

Advice to parents: Take every cold of your child seriously

Although myocarditis caused by parvovirus B19 is rare, its consequences are very serious. As parents, what should we do?

Pay attention to every “cold” of your child and don’t take it lightly. Closely observe the symptoms of your child after “catching a cold”. If the above suspicious symptoms appear, seek medical attention in time. Strengthen your child’s daily care, improve immunity, and prevent viral infection. This study once again reminds us that there are still many unknowns to explore on the road of medicine. We should pay attention to breakthroughs in new technologies and pay attention to in-depth research on common diseases. Only by continuous learning and progress can we better protect children’s health.