title: Prevalence of herpesvirus, human T-lymphotropic virus type 1, and treponemal infections in Southeast Asian refugees.
abstract: Sera obtained for treponemal serology (VDRL) from 193 Southeast Asian refugees representing five ethnic groups seen in a primary care clinic were examined for antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), human herpes-virus-6 (HHV-6), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV). The seroprevalence was highest for EBV (99%), followed in decreasing order by CMV (95%), HHV-6 (26%), and HTLV-1 (0.6%). The VDRL was positive in 15% of patients. The highest seroprevalence to HHV-6 was noted in the Chinese (33%) and the lowest in the Laotian hilltribes, the Mien and Hmong (14%). Antibody to HHV-6 was most prevalent among patients under 20 and those between 60 and 69 years of age. Differences were not found among ethnic groups in the seroprevalence of HTLV-1, EBV, or CMV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buchwald
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Hooton
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Ashley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000208:ethnology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012036:Refugees; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis; D014211:Treponemal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D014861:Washington
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies