HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 Infections in HIV-Infected Individuals From Santos, Brazil: Seroprevalence and Risk Factors

Distribution of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Human T-Leukemia Virus Co-infection in Bahia, Brazil

“…Studies have associated HIV/HTLV coinfection with risk factors that include previous blood transfusion, intravenous drug use and sexual contact with multiple partners ( 7 , 14 , 33 , 34 ). A previous study conducted in Salvador demonstrated a 22.2% rate of HIV/HTLV-1 and 10.6% of HTLV/HTLV-2 coinfection in injectable drug users in contrast to the frequency found herein (2.4%) ( 35 ).The low prevalence of coinfection of HIV/HTLV found in the present study may be partially explained by the Brazilian response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic among injecting drug users, including the establishment of harm reduction programs that provide sterile needles and syringes ( 36 ).…”

Molecular evidence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2) infections in HTLV seroindeterminate individuals from São Paulo, Brazil

“…4 In Brazil, seroprevalence among blood donors ranges from 0.08% to 1.8%. [5][6][7] Higher infection rates are found in the Northern and Northeastern regions, as well as among certain population groups: IDU, 8,9 HIV-infected patients, [10][11][12] commercial sex workers 13 and Amerindians from the Amazon. 14,15 Screening of Brazilian blood donors for HTLV infection, which has been mandatory since 1993, is currently based on enzyme immunoassays (EIA), followed by confirmatory Western blot (Wb) tests, 16 which also distinguish HTLV-1 from HTLV-2 infections.…”

Serological patterns and temporal trends of HTLV-1/2 infection in high-risk populations attending Public Health Units in São Paulo, Brazil

“…The geographic variability of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections in Brazil probably reflects the introduction of the viruses by (i) Indian ancestors who migrated from Asia to northern areas of the continent about 13,000 years ago; (ii) African slaves who were brought to the northeastern and southeastern regions during the 17th and 18th centuries; and more recently (iii) Japanese immigration during the first half of the 20th century, mostly to São Paulo State in southeastern Brazil (Ishak et al, 1995;Vallinoto et al, 2004). Besides the general population, a high percentage of intravenous drug users (IVD) from urban areas of Brazil, mostly HIV-1-infected, harbor HTLV-1/2 (Barbosa de Carvalho et al, 1996;Casseb et al, 1997a;Caterino-de-Araujo et al, 1998;de Araujo et al, 1994;Etzel et al, 2001;Gabbai et al, 1993;Moreira et al, 1993;Morimoto et al, 2005;Vallinoto et al, 1998). Several diseases, including adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), other neurological syndromes, pneumonia, arthritis, bronchitis, and dermatological and urinary diseases, are associated with HTLV-1 and/or HTLV-2 infection in Brazil Macedo et al, 2004;Montanheiro et al, 2005;Pombo de Oliveira et al, 1995;Posada-Vergara et al, 2006).…”