Primary Prevention of HTLV-I in Japan

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Abstract
The ATL prevention program (AAP) in the Nagasaki Prefecture since 1987 consists of screening of pregnant women and asking the seropositives to refrain from breast-feeding. We screened ≈90% of gravidas in the Prefecture and >90% of the seropositive women agreed not to breast-feed. The maternal transmission rate dropped from ≈20% to ≈3%. PCR of cord bloods showed that 2.5% were PCR-positive. However, among formula-fed children, none of the cord-positives seroconverted, and none of the seropositives tested had been cord-positive. Breast-feeding for less than six months decreased the transmission rate significantly, but may have a higher transmission rate than the formula feeding.