title: Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 infection is frequent in rural communities of the southern Andes of Peru.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the presence of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection in isolated rural communities in the southern Andes of Peru.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional study in five communities located in three provinces in Ayacucho, Peru. The five communities are located at >3000 meters above sea level and are mainly rural, and more than 85% of the population speaks Quechua. Volunteers aged 12 years and older were included. Clinical and epidemiological data were collected, along with a blood sample for serological testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 397 participants; their median age was 41 years (interquartile range 31-57 years) and 69% were women. According to our definitions, 98% were of Quechua origin. HTLV-1 was diagnosed in 11 people: 0/164 in Cangallo, 3/154 (2%) in Vilcashuaman, and 8/79 (10%) in Parinacochas. There were no cases of HTLV-2. All the HTLV-1-positive participants were born in Ayacucho and were of Quechua origin; they ranged in age from 29 to 87 years (median 56 years) and 10/11 were women. Ten were apparently healthy, and one woman was diagnosed with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Three out of 11 had a family member with a lower limb impairment compatible with HAM/TSP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fact that HTLV-1 infection was present in two out of three provinces suggests that HTLV-1 could be highly endemic in the southern Andes in the Quechua population.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru. Electronic address: fanny.ita.nagy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fanny
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ita
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Erick F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kristien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verdonck
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo (LID), Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gotuzzo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001942:Breast Feeding; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population
keywords: Andes; Breastfeeding; Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1; Peru; Prevalence