Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2006 Aug 15;42(5):604-9.
doi: 10.1097/01.qai.0000221680.52563.d5.

High endemicity of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 among pregnant women in peru

Jorge O Alarcón  1 , Heidi B Friedman, Silvia M Montano, Joseph R Zunt, King K Holmes, Gerald V Quinnan Jr
Affiliations

High endemicity of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 among pregnant women in peru

Jorge O Alarcón et al. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. .

Abstract

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1(HTLV-1) is associated with adult T-cell leukemia, tropical spastic paraparesis, and other immune-mediated diseases. There are reports of groups with high prevalences of HTLV-1 infection in Peru, but there is limited knowledge of the epidemiology of infection or which routes of infection are most important. We studied 2,492 women presenting to a large maternity hospital in Lima for prenatal, delivery, or abortion services. HTLV-1 seropositivity was confirmed in 42 women (1.7%; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.2). Seroprevalence increased with age but did not vary by region of birth or recency of migration to Lima. Age greater than 30 years and sexual intercourse before 20 years of age were strongly and independently associated with infection. History of abortion and history of transfusion were of borderline significance. Women whose male partner had a characteristic that might be a marker for risk of sexually transmitted infections were also more likely to be infected. HTLV-1 is common among Peruvians throughout the country and is maintained by a low level of neonatally acquired infection that is amplified by sexual transmission. In addition to screening of the blood supply, instituted in 1997, programs designed to reduce neonatal and sexual transmission should be effective.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
HTLV-1 seroprevalence by age within birth region.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Cleghorn FR, Blattner WA, Holmes KK, et al. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Vol. 3. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1999. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus and HTLV infection; pp. 259–267.
    1. Catalan-Soares BC, Almeida RT, Carneiro-Proietti AB. Prevalence of HIV-1/2, HTLV-I/II, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), Treponema pallidum and Trypanosoma cruzi among prison inmates at Manhuacu, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2000;33(1):27–30. - PubMed
    1. Trelles O. [Tropical neurology?] Rev Neuropsiquiatr. 1977;40(1):3–8. - PubMed
    1. Johnson RT, Griffin DE, Arregui A, et al. Spastic paraparesis and HTLV-I infection in Peru. Ann Neurol. 1988;23(suppl):S151–S155. - PubMed
    1. Gotuzzo E, De Las Casas C, Deza L, et al. Tropical spastic paraparesis and HTLV-I infection: clinical and epidemiological study in Lima, Peru. J Neurol Sci. 1996;143(1–2):114–117. - PubMed

Publication types