Low prevalence of HTLV1/2 infection in a population of immigrants living in southern Italy

Loredana Alessio, Carmine Minichini, Mario Starace, Laura Occhiello, Mara Caroprese, Giovanni Di Caprio, Caterina Sagnelli, Luciano Gualdieri, Mariantonietta Pisaturo, Lorenzo Onorato, Gaetano Scotto, Margherita Macera, Stefania De Pascalis, Evangelista Sagnelli and Nicola Coppola

PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2018, vol. 12, issue 6, 1-8

Abstract: Aims: To assess the prevalence of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections in a cohort of immigrants living in southern Italy. Findings: We screened for antibody to HTLV-1/2 infection 1,498 consecutive immigrants born in endemic areas (sub-Saharan Africa or southern-Asia) by a commercial chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. If confirmed in a Western blot assay, which differentiates anti-HTLV-1 from anti-HTLV-2, the positive sera were tested for specific HTLV RNA by a home-made PCR. The immigrants investigated were more frequently males (89.05%), young (median age 26 years), with a low level of education (median schooling 6 years), born in sub-Saharan Africa (79.70%). They had been living in Italy for a median period of 5 months. Only one (0.07%) subject was anti-HTLV-1 -positive/HTLV-1 RNA-negative; he was an asymptomatic 27-year-old male from Nigeria with 6 years’ schooling who stated unsafe sexual habits and unsafe injection therapy. Conclusions: The data suggest screening for HTLV1 and HTLV-2 infections all blood donors to Italy from endemic countries at least on their first donation; however, a cost-effectiveness study is needed to clarify this topic. Author summary: As in Italy the immigrants constitute one tenth of the whole population and its contribution to blood donation is strongly desired we believe that to start screening for HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections in all donors from endemic countries at least on their first donation is a practice useful for a correct cost-effectiveness analysis and for a conclusive decision on this topic.

Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pntd00:0006601

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006601

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