title: HTLV-I/II prevalence in different geographic locations.
abstract: Human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type I (HTLV-I) is the etiological agent of adult T-cell leukemia and HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). HTLV-II is a closely related virus, and this infection is not clearly associated with clinical disease, although neurologic disorders are observed resembling HAM/TSP. Prevalence rates for HTLV-I infection in the general population are greater than 1% in the Caribbean Basin, Central Africa, and South Japan. In most other areas in the world, as far as we know, HTLV-I/II infections are mainly found in high-risk groups (ie, immigrants from endemic areas, their offspring, their sexual contacts and in patients and intravenous injection users attending sexually transmitted disease clinics). Also, a high rate of infection for both HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection was observed in the native Amerindian population in North America as well as South America. Blood donors are routinely screened for HTLV-I/II in North America, several countries in Europe, Japan, and Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Sanquin Blood Bank North-West Region, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vrielink
authors.forename: Henk W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Reesink
mesh_terms: D005843:Geography; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies