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Myocarditis is the third most common cause of death among young adults with a cumulative incidence rate globally of 1.5 million cases per 100,000 persons annually. The prevalence rate of myocarditis is about 22 cases per 100,000 persons annually. With those who develop myocarditis, the first year is difficult as a collection of cases have shown there is a 20% mortality rate. When looking at different causes of myocarditis, viral infection is the most prevalent, especially in children; however, the prevalence rate of myocarditis is often underestimated since the condition is easily overlooked. Some incidences of acute myocarditis can be attributed to the exposure of drug or toxic substances and abnormal immunoreactivity. The following agents may be other causes of myocarditis in various populations also, as previously highlighted in a prior section: protozoa, viruses, bacteria, rickettsia, and fungi. If one tests positive for an acute viral infection, clinical developments have discovered that 1% to 5% of said population may show some form of myocarditis.

When looking at the population affected, myocarditis is more common in pregnant women in addition to children and those who are immunocompromised. Myocarditis, however, has shown to be more common in the male population than in the female. Multiple studies report a ratio of 1:1.3-1.7 of female-male prevalence of myocarditis. Young males specifically have a higher incidence rate than any other population due to their testosterone levels creating a greater inflammatory response that increases chance of cardiac pathologies such as cardiomyopathy, heart failure, myocarditis. While males tend to have a higher tendency of developing myocarditis, females tend to display more severe signs and symptoms such as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation at an older age. Clinical patterns can assist in the diagnosis of myocarditis among the affected population. In a study of 3,055 patients with acute or chronic myocarditis, 72% presented with difficulty or labored breathing, 32% with chest pain, and another 18% with arrhythmias. Clinical observation suggests the possibility of a relationship between immunization and cardiac related symptoms; myocarditis and pericarditis have been observed to have a 200 times higher incidence rate post smallpox vaccine compared to pre smallpox vaccine.