Infection with human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus type I in patients attending an antenatal clinic in London

ABSTRACT

Infection with human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus type I has often been reported in British adults originating from the Caribbean islands, though few data exists on the prevalence of the virus in unselected populations in the United Kingdom. In recent studies in North London fewer than 0.02 percent of blood donors were found to be positive for the virus (JAJ Barbara, personal communication). We assessed the prevalence of antibody to human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus type I in women attending an antenatal clinic in an area of London with an ethnically heterogenous population and investigated whether seropositivity was confined to groups known to be of risk of carrying the virus. (AU)