Abstract

People who used illicit drugs (PWUDs) represent an important population group for acquisition and viral dispersion. In Brazil, high rates of the human T lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) and 2 (HTLV-2) have been reported in epidemiological studies. However, the epidemiological scenario of HTLV-1/2 infections in PWUDs is still poorly understood. Thus, this cross-sectional study determined the prevalence, frequency of subtypes and factors associated with HTLV-1/2 infections among PWUDs in the Brazilian state of Pará, an area considered endemic for this virus and with poor health services. Among 826 PWUDs, 53 (6.4%) presented anti-HTLV-1/2 antibodies by EIA and 44 (5.3%) presented proviral DNA by PCR. HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 were detected in 25 (3.0%) and 19 (2.3%) PWUDs, respectively. Subtypes 1a (25/44), transcontinental (23/44) and Japanese subgroups (2/44), 2b (6/44) and 2c (13/44) were identified. Involvement in illicit/criminal activity, daily use of illicit drugs, illicit drug use over 12 years, unprotected sex with other PWUDs, changes in genitalia (including ulcers and wounds), and more than 12 sexual partners were associated with HTLV-1/2 in PWUDs. This high prevalence and intense circulation of subtypes and subgroups of HTLV-1/2 is very worrying, and indicate the need for urgent actions for its control, prevention and treatment.

Details

Title
Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 and 2 among people who used illicit drugs in the state of Pará, northern Brazil
Author
Oliveira-Filho, Aldemir B 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Araújo, Ana Paula S 2 ; Andreia Polliana C Souza 3 ; Gomes, Camila M 4 ; Silva-Oliveira, Gláucia C 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Martins, Luísa C 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Fischer, Benedikt 6 ; Machado, Luiz Fernando A 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Vallinoto, Antonio Carlos R 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ishak, Ricardo 7 ; Lemos, José Alexandre R 8   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kupek, Emil 9   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  Instituto de Estudos Costeiros, Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, PA, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil 
2  Instituto de Estudos Costeiros, Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, PA, Brazil; Residência Multiprofissional em Saúde da Mulher e da Criança, Hospital Santo Antonio Maria Zaccaria, Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, PA, Brazil 
3  Instituto de Estudos Costeiros, Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, PA, Brazil; Residência Multiprofissional em Saúde da Mulher e da Criança, Hospital Santo Antonio Maria Zaccaria, Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, PA, Brazil; Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil 
4  Instituto de Estudos Costeiros, Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, PA, Brazil 
5  Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil 
6  Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Grafton, AK, New Zealand; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil 
7  Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil 
8  Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil; Centro de Hemoterapia e Hematologia do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil 
9  Departamento de Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil 
Pages
1-10
Publication year
2019
Publication date
Oct 2019
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-51383-7
ProQuest document ID
2305536818
Copyright
© 2019. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.