Very high prevalence of infection with the human T cell leukaemia virus type 1c in remote Australian Aboriginal communities: Results of a large cross-sectional community survey
Very high prevalence of infection with the human T cell leukaemia virus type 1c in remote Australian Aboriginal communities: Results of a large cross-sectional community survey
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
- Author(s): Einsiedel, Lloyd, Pham, Hai, Talukder, Mohammad Radwanur, Taylor, Kerry, Wilson, Kim, Kaldor, John, Gessain, Antoine, Woodman, Richard
- Published: 2021
- Publisher: Public Library of Science
- Volume: 15
Abstract: In the first large scale community study of HTLV-1 prevalence in central Australia we found an adult prevalence of 36.8%, the highest reported worldwide. Prevalence increased with age suggesting that sexual contact may be the predominant mode of transmission. Although a wide range of HTLV-1 proviral loads was found, in nearly 40% of participants this exceeded 1000 copies per 105 peripheral blood leukocytes, a level that has been associated with an increased risk of chronic lung disease and death in this population. The median PVL for participants who were symptomatic with HTLV-1 associated inflammatory diseases was 1.34 log10 higher than that of those who were asymptomatic. These data demand a public health initiative to reduce HTLV-1 transmission among Aboriginal Australians.