The Epidemiology and Clinical Impact of HTLV Infections in Europe
Graham P. Taylor 1, The HTLV European Research Network (HERN) 1
1 NULL
*Correspondence: Graham P. Taylor, Email not available
Abstract
The adoption of a single common algorithm for the detection and confirmation of HTLV-I and HTLV-II infections by participants in a European concerted action and the generalised use of improved screening and confirmatory assays has resulted in seroprevalence data in Europe which are comparable across time and space. HTLV-I remains present among blood donors at a low but uniform rate (2-12/100,000); seroconversions among existing blood donors are rare and screening all current donors and new donors once seems an appropriate use of resources. HTLV-I and -II infections are 10-100 times more common among pregnant women than among blood donors. Although perinatal transmission is preventable, no studies of transmission rates in Europe have yet been conducted. The highest rates of HTLV-II infection appear to be among IDU in Eire and Norway but rates are increasing in Spain, particularly among prisoners. There is a paucity of data on HTLV-I/II infection in patients attending sexual health clinics. The majority of cases of ATLL and HAM/TSP have been reported in France and the UK but rare cases have been reported in most other EU member states. The lifetime risk of HAM/TSP among carriers in the UK is high compared with Japan but consistent with Caribbean data. Life expectancy for acute ATLL in Europe is five months despite therapy.
