Back to Search
Start Over
HTLV in the Americas: challenges and perspectives.
- Source :
-
Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health [Rev Panam Salud Publica] 2006 Jan; Vol. 19 (1), pp. 44-53. - Publication Year :
- 2006
-
Abstract
- The first description of the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) was made in 1980, followed closely by the discovery of HTLV-2, in 1982. Since then, the main characteristics of these viruses, commonly referred to as HTLV-1/2, have been thoroughly studied. Central and South America and the Caribbean are areas of high prevalence of HTLV-1 and HTVL-2 and have clusters of infected people. The major modes of transmission have been through sexual contact, blood, and mother to child via breast-feeding. HTLV-1 is associated with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), and HTLV-associated uveitis as well as infectious dermatitis of children. More clarification is needed in the possible role of HTLV in rheumatologic, psychiatric, and infectious diseases. Since cures for ATL and HAM/TSP are lacking and no vaccine is available to prevent HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 transmission, these illnesses impose enormous social and financial costs on infected individuals, their families, and health care systems. For this reason, public health interventions aimed at counseling and educating high-risk individuals and populations are of vital importance. In the Americas this is especially important in the areas of high prevalence.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Blood Donors
Breast Feeding
Caribbean Region epidemiology
Central America epidemiology
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies
Deltaretrovirus Infections prevention & control
Deltaretrovirus Infections transmission
Female
HTLV-I Infections epidemiology
HTLV-I Infections prevention & control
HTLV-I Infections transmission
HTLV-II Infections epidemiology
HTLV-II Infections prevention & control
HTLV-II Infections transmission
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Leukemia, T-Cell epidemiology
Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell epidemiology
Lymphoma, T-Cell
Male
Middle Aged
Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic epidemiology
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious epidemiology
Risk Factors
South America epidemiology
United States epidemiology
Deltaretrovirus Infections epidemiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1020-4989
- Volume :
- 19
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 16536938
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1590/s1020-49892006000100007