Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is the second main causes of viral myocarditis. Mouse infection with CVB3 mimics the heterotypic response to virus-induced disease observed in humans. Here we have used Evans blue dye as a quantitative biomarker for susceptibility to CVB3-induced myocarditis in addition to histopathological semi quantitative measures. We have found evidence of linkage between susceptibility to viral myocarditis and three loci. A locus on chromosome 1 was linked to sarcolemmal disruption in males (P=0.00005), a second locus on chromosome 4 was also linked to sarcolemmal disruption in males (P=0.0022). A third locus on distal chromosome 3 was linked to myocardial infiltration, with a logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 4.7 (P=0.0045), as well as sarcolemmal disruption in females (P=0.0015). These results provide strong evidence for the presence of loci contributing to the susceptibility of mice to viral myocarditis. Given the complexity of the regulation,...