Sexual transmission of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)

ABSTRACT

Human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I), the prototype human retrovirus, has been linked epidemilogically to adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma and to tropical spastic paraparesis. Modes of infection include mother-to-child transmission, most likely by ingestion of breast milk; parenteral transmission by blood transfusion and intravenous drug abuse; and male-to-female sexual transmission. Female-to-male transmission of HTLV-I is thought to occur only rarely, if at all. We document risk factors for male-to-female and female-to-male transmission of HTLV-I among persons in Jamaica attending clinics for sexually transmitted disease.(AU)