[Current situation of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 and Human T lymphotropic virus in Spain]

Abstract

The Spanish HIV-2 and HTLV Group was founded in 1989. Since then, a total of 144 cases of HTLV-1 and 717 cases of infection with HTLV-2 have been reported. Most patients infected with HTLV-1 are immigrants from Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 34 patients had developed diseases associated with HTLV-1: 21 tropical spastic paraparesis and 13 leukemias. The profile of patients infected with HTLV-2 is of males, native Spaniards, intravenous drug users and coinfected with HIV-1. The majority of transfusion centres in Spain have recently introduced anti-HTLV screening of blood donors, at the moment only among persons coming from HTLV-1 endemic areas. In 2009 a total of 30 new HIV-2 cases were reported, making a total of 216 so far. Most are male, originating from Sub-Saharan Africa.