HTLV-2 infection in Manaus, Brazil: first description of HTLV-2c subtype in an urban area of the Western Amazon region

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: We investigated the prevalence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) infection in patients with hematological diseases from the western Amazon region of Brazil. METHODS: Samples from 306 patients were submitted for the molecular diagnosis of HTLV-1/2 infection by real time PCR (qPCR), with amplification, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis of the long terminal repeat (LTR) region. RESULTS: A 29-year-old male carrier of sickle cell anemia with a history of multiple blood transfusions was diagnosed with the HTLV-2c subtype . CONCLUSIONS: This study describes the first known occurrence of HTLV-2c in the urban area of Brazil’s western Amazon region.

The Epidemiological Impact of STIs among General and Vulnerable Populations of the Amazon Region of Brazil: 30 years of Surveillance

“…It was later shown that in addition to indigenous populations, HTLV-2c is already present in urban (blood donors and HIV-1 carriers) and rural populations in the states of Pará and Amazonas [ 43 , 82 , 83 , 88 , 89 ]. In Brazil, HTLV-2c was described in other areas, including São Paulo [ 90 ], Rio de Janeiro [ 91 ], Belo Horizonte [ 92 ], Porto Alegre [ 93 ] and Salvador [ 94 ].…”