Abstract.
Background: Human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma viruses (HTLV) and HIV share identical modes of transmission and co-infections may be detected in populations that are highly exposed to common risk factors.
Materials and Methods: A total of 599 serum samples from HIV-positive patients attending our outpatient clinic during the last semester of 2000 were tested to assess the prevalence of HTLV co-infection in both Italian (n = 472) and non-European HIV-infected patients (n = 127).
Results: 72 samples were positive for HTLV-II. Most of the HTLV-II-positive patients were Italian (71/72, 98.6%) and 98.5% of them had acquired the HIV infection through use of intravenous recreational drugs.
Conclusion: These data demonstrate a high HTLV-II exposure among HIV-positive intravenous drug users in our area which was not previously considered to be an area of endemicity for HTLV-II.
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Received: July 12, 2002 · Revision accepted: January 30, 2003
Eugenia Quiros-Roldan (corresponding author)
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Quiros-Roldan, E., Moretti, F., Torti, C. et al. HIV/HTLV Co-infection: Frequency and Epidemiological Characteristics among Patients Admitted to an Italian Hospital. Infection 31, 172–173 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-003-3122-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-003-3122-5