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Alessio L, Minichini C, Starace M, Occhiello L, Caroprese M, Di Caprio G, Sagnelli C, Gualdieri L, Pisaturo M, Onorato L, Scotto G, Macera M, De Pascalis S, Sagnelli E, Coppola N. Low prevalence of HTLV1/2 infection in a population of immigrants living in southern Italy. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006601. [PMID: 29940042 PMCID: PMC6034900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Alessio
- Infectious Diseases Unit, AORN Sant’ Anna and San Sebastiano, Caserta, Italy
- Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy
- Medical Center, Centro di Accoglienza “La tenda di Abramo”, Caserta, Italy
| | - Carmine Minichini
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Mario Starace
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Occhiello
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Mara Caroprese
- Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy
- Medical Center, Centro di Accoglienza “La tenda di Abramo”, Caserta, Italy
| | - Giovanni Di Caprio
- Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy
- Medical Center, Centro di Accoglienza “La tenda di Abramo”, Caserta, Italy
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Caterina Sagnelli
- Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
- Medical center, Centro Suore Missionarie della Carità, Naples, Italy
| | - Luciano Gualdieri
- Medical Center, Centro per la Tutela della Salute degli Immigrati, Naples, Italy
| | - Mariantonietta Pisaturo
- Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy
- Medical Center, Centro di Accoglienza “La tenda di Abramo”, Caserta, Italy
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Onorato
- Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy
- Medical Center, Centro di Accoglienza “La tenda di Abramo”, Caserta, Italy
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Margherita Macera
- Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy
- Medical Center, Centro di Accoglienza “La tenda di Abramo”, Caserta, Italy
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Stefania De Pascalis
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Evangelista Sagnelli
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Nicola Coppola
- Infectious Diseases Unit, AORN Sant’ Anna and San Sebastiano, Caserta, Italy
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
- * E-mail:
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