[Detection of specific antibodies for HTLV in French blood donors]

HTLV infection was detected in normal French blood donors and haemophiliac patients using HTLV p24 radio-immunoassay. No positive was found in 772 sera from continental blood donors born in continental France or in foreign countries. Among 131 donors living in continental France and born in overseas territories, 2 (1.5%) were found to possess anti-HTLV p24 antibodies. Similarly in a sample of 1 239 donors collected in Martinique, 1.5% were positive. No positive had been found in a sample of 142 continental haemophiliacs.