title: HTLV-I infection in selected populations in Australia and the western Pacific region.
abstract: The prevalence of infection with human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in 19,975 blood samples from Australia and the western Pacific was determined by measuring the presence of specific antibody (anti-HTLV-I) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with confirmation by western blot and/or radioimmunoprecipitation techniques. In Australia no evidence of HTLV-I infection was found in injecting drug users, patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), subjects attending a sexually transmitted diseases clinic, female prostitutes, or transfusion recipients. A low prevalence of infection was detected in people with haemophilia (0.5%) and in male homosexuals (0.5%-1%). No antibody was detected in sera from Vanuatu, Kiribati, American Samoa, the Cook Islands, New Caledonia, the Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia and Fiji, but a low frequency of anti-HTLV-I was detected in sera from the Solomon Islands (1.2%) and Nauru (0.6%).
authors.affiliation: Fairfield Hospital, Vic.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Efandis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dimitrakakis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karopoulos
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Gust
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001782:Blood Donors; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010139:Pacific Islands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015531:Radioimmunoprecipitation Assay; D011477:Sex Work; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000150:complications; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies