Silent dissemination of HTLV-1: evidence of intrafamilial transmission in a Brazilian reference centre

The HTLV-1 affects 5 to 10 million people worldwide. It is estimated that 5 to 10% of the infected individuals develop severe diseases, such as HTLV-Associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (HAM/TSP) or Adult T-Cell Leukaemia/Lymphoma (ATLL). HTLV-1 transmission can occur mainly through unprotected sexual contact and from mother to child during breastfeeding. No vaccines can contain this infection, and strategies to prevent transmission become a priority. Therefore, it is important to know the main dissemination routes of each region to design the best public health strategies for controlling the spread of this virus.

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of family aggregation in HTLV-1 infection among patients treated at a reference centre in Brazil.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with patients between July 2021 and August 2022. A total of 67 individuals were attended, of which 17 were classified as index cases due to a history of family aggregation, with 120 family contacts.

We found a prevalence of 36% of individuals positive for HTLV-1 and the same for HTLV-1 negative, while 28% of the family members had unknown serology. The possible transmission routes were identified, and the familial transmission histories within each family were hypothesised.

These data can support specific decisions regarding the local reality, such as a better health strategy, especially in preventing new HTLV-1 cases.