Infectious Diseases

Epidemiology - HTLV

 

New diagnoses of HTLV: 1988-2001 

Six hundred and fifty reports of new HTLV diagnoses were identified between 1988 to 2001 inclusive, with an average of 46 new diagnoses per year (range 30-59) (figure 1). Twice as many females were diagnosed than males. Median age of both males and females was 57 years, and where ethnicity or country of origin was reported, 80% of individuals newly diagnosed with infection were associated with the Caribbean basin. A greater number of cases were diagnosed with HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), than adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATLL).


image - Figure 1 number of HTLV infections by year of laboratory diagnosis: 1988 - 2001

1988 - 2001

 


New diagnoses of HTLV: 2002-2004

Reports received by the end of January 2005

Between 2002 and 2004, 271 individuals were newly diagnosed with HTLV and reported. Where reported (265), 252 were HTLV-I, 12 were HTLV-II and one individual was co-infected with HTLV-I and II. Of the 271 people diagnosed with HTLV between 2002 and 2004, 99 (37%) were men, 169 (62%) women and for three, sex was not reported. Median age at diagnosis was 54 years for men and 51 years for women.

A clinician report, collecting more detailed epidemiological information, was received for 195 people. Where ethnicity was reported (187), 109 (58%) were black Caribbean, 53 (28%) white, 13 black African and 12 of other ethnicity. Probable route of infection was given for 137 individuals, of whom 39 (28%) were probably infected through heterosexual intercourse, 37 (27%) through mother to child transmission, 44 (32%) by either route, 12 through blood transfusion and five through other routes (including sex between men and injecting drug use). Where probable country of infection was reported (139), 62 (45%) individuals were probably infected in the Caribbean, 57 (41%) in the UK, 11 in Africa and the rest in other regions.

 


Results from the testing of blood donations for HTLV: Aug 2002 - Dec 2004 

Between August 2002 and December 2004, 80 infections in blood donors were identified among approximately seven million donations made to UK Blood Services. This represents a rate of approximately 1.0 and 0.1 per 100,000 donations tested for HTLV-I and HTLV-II respectively. The majority of infections were female (74%), and of those interviewed, (64%) were either born in, or had had sex with, a person from an HTLV endemic country. A national lookback to any previous donations of HTLV positive blood donors has so far identified six infected transfusion recipients.


Reports and publications  

Data from England and Wales, collated by HPA

Dougan S, Smith R, Tosswill JC, Davison K, Zuckerman M, Taylor GP. New diagnoses of HTLV infection in England and Wales: 2002-2004. Eurosurveillance Monthly 2005; 10(10):October 2005.

Payne LJC, Tosswill JHC, Taylor GP, Zuckerman M, Simms I. In the shadow of HIV – HTLV infection in England and Wales 1987–2001. Commun Dis Public Health 2004; 7(3):200-206

Dougan S, Payne LJC, Tosswill JHC, Davison K, Evans B. HTLV infection in England and Wales in 2002 – results from an enhanced surveillance system. Commun Dis Public Health 2004; 7(3): 207-211

Shooting Up - Infections among injecting drug users in the United Kingdom 2004, An update: October 2005 (for HTLV-II)

Other useful publications relating to HTLV in the UK and Europe

Tosswill JHC, Taylor GP, Tedder RS, Mortimer PP. HTLV-I/II associated disease in England and Wales, 1993-7: retrospective review of serology requests. BMJ 2000; 320: 611-2

Ades AE, Parker S, Walker J, Edginton M, Taylor GP, Weber JN. Human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus infection in pregnant women in the United Kingdom: population study. BMJ 2000; 320: 1497-1501

Taylor GP. The epidemiology of HTLV-I in Europe. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum
Retrovirol 1996; 13 (Suppl 1): S8-S14

Weber J, Taylor GP. Antenatal screening is important. BMJ 1996; 312: 706

Paguliuca A, Pawson R, Mufti G. HTLV-I screening in Britain. BMJ 1995; 311: 706

Simms I, Tosswill JHC, Noone A, Morgan D. Surveillance of HTLV infection in England andWales: 1986-1992. Commun Dis Rep CDR Rev 1994; 4(6): R65-9

Brennan M, Runganga J, Barbara JA, Contreras M, Tedder RS, Garson JA et al. Prevalence of antibodies to human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus in blood donors in North London.
BMJ 1993; 307: 1235-9

Mowbray J, Mawson S, Chawira A, Skidmore S, Boxall E, Desselberger U, Nightingale S.Epidemiology of HTLV-I infections in a subpopulation of Afro-Caribbean origin in England. J Med Virol 1989; 29: 289-5


Links  

The 12th International Retrovirology Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV and Related Viruses, http://www.htlvconference.org.jm

National Blood Service
http://www.blood.co.uk/

St Mary’s NHS Trust
http://www.st-marys.org.uk/

 


Last reviewed: 3 March 2008



Topics Menu

 

HPA Services

 

Related Information

 

External Links