title: Primary prevention of HTLV-I in Japan.
abstract: The ATL prevention program (AAP) in the Nagasaki Prefecture since 1987 consists of screening of pregnant women and asking the seropositives to refrain from breast-feeding. We screened approximately 90% of gravidas in the Prefecture and > 90% of the seropositive women agreed not to breast-feed. The maternal transmission rate dropped from approximately 20% to approximately 3%. PCR of cord bloods showed that 2.5% were PCR-positive. However, among formula-fed children, none of the cord-positives seroconverted, and none of the seropositives tested had been cord-positive. Breast-feeding for less than six months decreased the transmission rate significantly, but may have a higher transmission rate than the formula feeding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hino
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katamine
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamabe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002353:Carrier State; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012698:Serologic Tests