[Prevalence of HTLV-I antibodies and possible risk factors in Chilean prostitutes]

Aiming to know the prevalence of HTLV-1 infection among high risk groups in Santiago, the antibodies against HTLV-1 were measured in 502 prostitutes coming from north and east Santiago. Antibodies were measured using ELISA and the positive samples were confirmed with an indirect immunofluorescence technique. Four subjects were positive, establishing a HTLV-1 infection prevalence of 0.8%. This number similar to that of other groups of prostitutes from South America and lower than that of prostitutes from Central America, region in which this infection is endemic. The measured prevalence was similar to that of other non promiscuous groups, suggesting that sexual transmission does not play an important role in our population.