Patterns of migration indicate sexual transmission of HTLV‐I infection in non‐pregnant women in papua new guinea

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Abstract
The prevalence of infection with human T-cell leukaemia virus (HTLV-I) was studied in Madang Province on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. Serum specimens collected from non-pregnant women in 17 villages were tested for anti-HTLV-I by gelatin particle agglutination screening and confirmed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Overall, 13.9% of subjects were antibody-positive, with the prevalence of antibodies varying from vs. 0%; p = 0.005). Vertical transmission cannot be excluded in indigenous women. No correlation was detected between the prevalence of anti-HTLV-l and a variety of indices of malarial infection.