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About the Authors:
Magaly M. Blas
Contributed equally to this work with: Magaly M. Blas, Isaac E. Alva
* E-mail: [email protected]
Affiliation: Epidemiology, STD and HIV Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
Isaac E. Alva
Contributed equally to this work with: Magaly M. Blas, Isaac E. Alva
Affiliation: Epidemiology, STD and HIV Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
Patricia J. García
Affiliation: Epidemiology, STD and HIV Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
Cesar Cárcamo
Affiliation: Epidemiology, STD and HIV Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
Silvia M. Montano
Affiliation: United States Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Callao, Peru
Nicanor Mori
Affiliation: United States Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Callao, Peru
Ricardo Muñante
Affiliation: Ucayali Regional Health Directorate, Ministry of Health, Ucayali, Peru
Joseph R. Zunt
Affiliation: School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Departments of Neurology, Global Health and Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
Abstract
Background
In an earlier study, we detected an association between human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) infection and cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) in indigenous Amazonian Peruvian women of the Shipibo-Konibo ethnic group. As both HTLV and HPV can be transmitted sexually, we now report a population-based study examining the prevalence and risk factors for HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infection in this population.
Methods
Between July and December 2010, we conducted a comprehensive screening for HTLV among Shipibo-Konibo women 15 to 39 years of age living in two communities located in Lima and in 17 communities located within four hours by car or boat from the Amazonian city of Pucallpa in Peru.
Results
We screened 1,253 Shipibo-Konibo women for HTLV infection 74 (5.9%) tested positive for HTLV-1, 47 (3.8%) for HTLV-2 infection, and 4 (0.3%) had indeterminate results. In the multivariate analysis, factors associated with HTLV-1 infection included: older age (Prevalence Ratio (PR): 1.04, 95% CI 1.00–1.08), primary education or less (PR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.25–3.24), younger or same age most recent sex partner (PR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.00–2.74), and having a most recent sex partner who worked at a logging camp (PR: 1.73, 95% CI:...