What is HTLV?
HTLV stands for Human T cell Leukemia Virus
It is a retrovirus that infects a type of white blood cell called a T-cell or T-lymphocyte
HTLV-1 is a global problem affecting individuals in countries spread far & wide; endemic to indigenous & disadvantaged communities in many countries such as Japan, West-Africa, Caribbean Islands, Iran, Australia, Brazil & Peru.
There are two main types, and four subtypes, of HTLV: HTLV-1, HTLV-2, HTLV-3 and HTLV-4. An estimated 5 to 10 million people world wide have HTLV, the vast majority not knowing that they carry the virus because they remain without symptoms & have not been tested for the virus. About 1 in 20 people will develop disease, mostly due to HTLV-1 but this usually occurs much after initial infection.
The HTLV community – patients, friends & family, physicians, experts in the field – stand strong & together in supporting affected individuals & in the proactive promotion & implementation of effective transmission prevention strategies improving the sexual & reproductive health, & life expectancy, of HTLV-1 affected communities
Just like HIV-1, the transmission of HTLV-1, a blood borne & sexually transmitted virus, is preventable. So far, the World Health Organization (WHO) has promoted 17 different prevention strategies to reduce the transmission of other blood borne & sexually transmittable viruses, such as Hepatitis B & C and HIV, but not for HTLV-1. We would like to see this corrected.
There are two main types, and four subtypes, of HTLV: HTLV-1, HTLV-2, HTLV-3 and HTLV-4. An estimated 5 to 10 million people world wide have HTLV, the vast majority not knowing that they carry the virus because they remain without symptoms & have not been tested for the virus. About 1 in 20 people will develop disease, mostly due to HTLV-1 but this usually occurs much after initial infection.
The HTLV community – patients, friends & family, physicians, experts in the field – stand strong & together in supporting affected individuals & in the proactive promotion & implementation of effective transmission prevention strategies improving the sexual & reproductive health, & life expectancy, of HTLV-1 affected communities
Just like HIV-1, the transmission of HTLV-1, a blood borne & sexually transmitted virus, is preventable. So far, the World Health Organization (WHO) has promoted 17 different prevention strategies to reduce the transmission of other blood borne & sexually transmittable viruses, such as Hepatitis B & C and HIV, but not for HTLV-1. We would like to see this corrected.