Primary prevention of HTLV-I in Japan.
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.
Hino
S
S
Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
Katamine
S
S
Miyata
H
H
Tsuji
Y
Y
Yamabe
T
T
Miyamoto
T
T
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