[Estimated prevalence rate of HTLV-I uveitis in Chikugo]

Abstract

To estimate the prevalence rate of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-I) uveitis, an epidemiological survey was carried out in the Chikugo District of Fukuoka Prefecture between 1 September and 31 October 1995. The survey was done by sending questionnaires on uveitis patients to all ophthalmological institutes in the district and measuring the serum antibody to HTLV-I. The recovery rate of the survey was 39 of 48 institutes (81.3%). A total of 357 patients with uveitis were reported in the survey, of whom 317 (88.8%) were tested for their seropositivity to HTLV-I. Among them, 18 patients were counted as having HTLV-I uveitis (HU) on 1 October 1995. Based on these data together with the age- and sex-specific population of HTLV-I carriers in the Chikugo District, it was estimated that the crude prevalence rates of HU per 100,000 HTLV-I carrier population were 58.6 in males, 152.0 in females, and 112.2 in both sexes. The prevalence rate of HU was slightly higher than that of HTLV-I associated myelopathy.