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Low prevalence of HTLV1/2 infection in a population of immigrants living in southern Italy.

ABSTRACT: To assess the prevalence of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections in a cohort of immigrants living in southern Italy.We screened for antibody to HTLV-1/2 infection 1,498 consecutive immigrants born in endemic areas (sub-Saharan Africa or southern-Asia) by a commercial chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. If confirmed in a Western blot assay, which differentiates anti-HTLV-1 from anti-HTLV-2, the positive sera were tested for specific HTLV RNA by a home-made PCR. The immigrants investigated were more frequently males (89.05%), young (median age 26 years), with a low level of education (median schooling 6 years), born in sub-Saharan Africa (79.70%). They had been living in Italy for a median period of 5 months. Only one (0.07%) subject was anti-HTLV-1 -positive/HTLV-1 RNA-negative; he was an asymptomatic 27-year-old male from Nigeria with 6 years' schooling who stated unsafe sexual habits and unsafe injection therapy.The data suggest screening for HTLV1 and HTLV-2 infections all blood donors to Italy from endemic countries at least on their first donation; however, a cost-effectiveness study is needed to clarify this topic.

SUBMITTER: Alessio L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6034900 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Low prevalence of HTLV1/2 infection in a population of immigrants living in southern Italy.

Alessio Loredana L Minichini Carmine C Starace Mario M Occhiello Laura L Caroprese Mara M Di Caprio Giovanni G Sagnelli Caterina C Gualdieri Luciano L Pisaturo Mariantonietta M Onorato Lorenzo L Scotto Gaetano G Macera Margherita M De Pascalis Stefania S Sagnelli Evangelista E Coppola Nicola N

PLoS neglected tropical diseases 20180625 6

<h4>Aims</h4>To assess the prevalence of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections in a cohort of immigrants living in southern Italy.<h4>Findings</h4>We screened for antibody to HTLV-1/2 infection 1,498 consecutive immigrants born in endemic areas (sub-Saharan Africa or southern-Asia) by a commercial chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. If confirmed in a Western blot assay, which differentiates anti-HTLV-1 from anti-HTLV-2, the positive sera were tested for specific HTLV RNA by a home-made PCR. The i ...[more]

PMID: 29940042

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Project description:BackgroundThe importance of submicroscopic malaria infections in high-transmission areas could contribute to maintain the parasite cycle. Regarding non-endemic areas, its importance remains barely understood because parasitaemia in these afebrile patients is usually below the detection limits for microscopy, hence molecular techniques are often needed for its diagnosis. In addition to this, the lack of standardized protocols for the screening of submicroscopic malaria in immigrants from endemic areas may underestimate the infection with Plasmodium spp. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of submicroscopic malaria in afebrile immigrants living in a non-endemic area.MethodsA prospective, observational, multicentre study was conducted. Afebrile immigrants were included, microscopic observation of Giemsa-stained thin and thick blood smears, and two different molecular techniques detecting Plasmodium spp. were performed. Patients with submicroscopic malaria were defined as patients with negative blood smears and detection of DNA of Plasmodium spp. with one or both molecular techniques. Demographic, clinical, analytical and microbiological features were recorded and univariate analysis by subgroups was carried out with STATA v15.ResultsA total of 244 afebrile immigrants were included in the study. Of them, 14 had a submicroscopic malaria infection, yielding a prevalence of 5.7% (95% confidence interval 3.45-9.40). In 71.4% of the positive PCR/negative microscopy cases, Plasmodium falciparum alone was the main detected species (10 out of the 14 patients) and in 4 cases (28.6%) Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium ovale were detected. One patient had a mixed infection including three different species.ConclusionsThe prevalence of submicroscopic malaria in afebrile immigrants was similar to that previously described in Spain. Plasmodium vivax and P. ovale were detected in almost a third of the submicroscopic infections. Screening protocols for afebrile immigrants with molecular techniques could be useful for a proper management of these patients.

Dataset Information

Low prevalence of HTLV1/2 infection in a population of immigrants living in southern Italy.

Publications

Low prevalence of HTLV1/2 infection in a population of immigrants living in southern Italy.

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