title: Patterns of migration indicate sexual transmission of HTLV-I infection in non-pregnant women in Papua New Guinea.
abstract: The prevalence of infection with human T-cell leukaemia virus (HTLV-I) was studied in Madang Province on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. Serum specimens collected from non-pregnant women in 17 villages were tested for anti-HTLV-I by gelatin particle agglutination screening and confirmed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Overall, 13.9% of subjects were antibody-positive, with the prevalence of antibodies varying from less than 10% to 30% in villages situated less than 10 km apart. Two groups of migrant women were identified, and in both a parity-related increase in antibody prevalence which occurred only after marriage suggested that the predominant mode of transmission in migrant women was sexual. There was no parity-associated increase in anti-HTLV-I in indigenous women, and in contrast to migrant women, nulliparous indigenous women had a high prevalence of antibody (16.8% vs. 0%; p = 0.005). Vertical transmission cannot be excluded in indigenous women. No correlation was detected between the prevalence of anti-HTLV-I and a variety of indices of malarial infection.
authors.affiliation: Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brabin
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Brabin
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Gust
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Alpers
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fujino
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hinuma
mesh_terms: D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008393:Marriage; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000635:transmission*
chemical_list: D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies