title: Trends in the prevalence and distribution of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections in Spain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although most HTLV infections in Spain have been found in native intravenous drug users carrying HTLV-2, the large immigration flows from Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa in recent years may have changed the prevalence and distribution of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections, and hypothetically open the opportunity for introducing HTLV-3 or HTLV-4 in Spain. To assess the current seroprevalence of HTLV infection in Spain a national multicenter, cross-sectional, study was conducted in June 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 6,460 consecutive outpatients attending 16 hospitals were examined. Overall, 12% were immigrants, and their main origin was Latin America (4.9%), Africa (3.6%) and other European countries (2.8%). Nine individuals were seroreactive for HTLV antibodies (overall prevalence, 0.14%). Evidence of HTLV-1 infection was confirmed by Western blot in 4 subjects (prevalence 0.06%) while HTLV-2 infection was found in 5 (prevalence 0.08%). Infection with HTLV types 1, 2, 3 and 4 was discarded by Western blot and specific PCR assays in another two specimens initially reactive in the enzyme immunoassay. All but one HTLV-1 cases were Latin-Americans while all persons with HTLV-2 infection were native Spaniards.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall prevalence of HTLV infections in Spain remains low, with no evidence of HTLV-3 or HTLV-4 infections so far.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Carlos III, Calle Sinesio Delgado 10, Madrid 28029, Spain. ana.trevino.rc@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Treviño
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguilera
authors.forename: Estrella
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benito
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Eiros
authors.forename: Araceli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calderón
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Jose Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roc
authors.forename: Goitzane
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marcaida
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trigo
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: Raul Ortíz
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: de Lejarazu
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Mendoza
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Soriano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies; D015482:HTLV-II Antibodies