title: Mother-to-Child Transmission of Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Viruses-1/2: What We Know, and What Are the Gaps in Understanding and Preventing This Route of Infection.
abstract: Although human T-cell lymphotropic viruses (HTLV-1/2) were described over 30 years ago, they are relatively unknown to the public and even to healthcare personnel. Although HTLV-1 is associated with severe illnesses, these occur in only approximately 10% of infected individuals, which may explain the lack of public knowledge about them. However, cohort studies are showing that a myriad of other disease manifestations may trouble infected individuals and cause higher expenditures with healthcare. Testing donated blood for HTLV-1/2 started soon after reliable tests were developed, but unfortunately testing is not available for women during prenatal care. Vertical transmission can occur before or after birth of the child. Before birth, it occurs transplacentally or by transfer of virus during cesarean delivery, but these routes of infection are rare. After childbirth, viral transmission occurs during breastfeeding and increases with longer breastfeeding and high maternal proviral load. Unlike the human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2, HTLV is transmitted primarily through breastfeeding and not transplacentally or during delivery. In this study, we review what is currently known about HTLV maternal transmission, its prevention, and the gaps still present in the understanding of this process.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary HTLV Research Group Fundação Hemominas Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana.
authors.forename: A B F
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Carneiro-Proietti
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary HTLV Research Group Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Amaranto-Damasio
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary HTLV Research Group Fundação Hemominas Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Leal-Horiguchi
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary HTLV Research Group Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana.
authors.forename: R H C
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Bastos
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary HTLV Research Group Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seabra-Freitas
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary HTLV Research Group Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Borowiak
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary HTLV Research Group Fundação Hemominas Fundação Hospitalar do Estado de Minas Gerais.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary HTLV Research Group Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana Laboratório de Epidemiologia e Antropologia Médica, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Proietti
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary HTLV Research Group Fundação Hemominas.
authors.forename: A S D
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary HTLV Research Group Fundação Hemominas Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Martins
keywords: HTLV; breastfeeding; human T-cell lymphotropic viruses; perinatal transmission; prevention