Immunoassay for the qualitative determination of antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus I/II
The human T-lymphotropic viruses (HTLV) types I and II are retroviruses that have infected approximately 20 million people worldwide1,2. The virus can be transmitted from mother to child via breastfeeding, through hetero- or homosexual intercourse, sharing contaminated needles, or via contaminated blood products.3,4
As a result of infection via intravenous drug use and secondary sexual contact, HTLV-I / II have entered the general and blood donor populations.5 HTLV-I is the most clinically relevant of the two viruses and has been directly associated with the life-threatening disease adult T-cell leukemia / lymphoma (ATLL) and the life-debilitating condition HTLV-associated myelopathy / tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/ TSP).1,4
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