Volume 25, Number 4—April 2019
Dispatch
Self-Flagellation as Possible Route of Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type-1 Transmission
Alice R. Tang, Graham P. Taylor, and Divya Dhasmana
Table
Characteristics of 10 case-patients infected with HTLV-1 who practice self-flagellation, United Kingdom*
| Case-patient | Age at diagnosis, y | Country of birth or ethnicity | HTLV-1 proviral load % | Route of diagnosis | HTLV-1 status of regular sexual partner | Sharing of equipment | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 34 | Indian | 0.8 | Screening for IVF | Negative | Yes | Blood donor in UK 9 y earlier, documented HTLV negative |
| B | 40 | Pakistan | 0.7 | Cord blood donor (partner) | Positive | Yes | Hepatitis C virus co-infection now cured |
| C | 47 | Pakistan | 0.8 | Screening for IVF | Negative | Yes | Multiple previous blood donations in Pakistan |
| D | 25 | Pakistan | 0.79 | UK blood donor | No current partner | Yes | Previous blood donor in Pakistan |
| E | 37 | Pakistan | 2.11 | Cord blood donor (partner) | Positive | Yes | None |
| F | 31 | UK, Indian | 0.14 | UK blood donor | Negative | Yes | None |
| G | 22 | UK, Pakistani | 0.4 | UK blood donor | Positive | No | Received sutures in Iraq; wife seroconverted and became pregnant |
| H | 33 | UK, Indian | 2.69 | UK blood donor | Negative | Yes | None |
| I | 37 | Pakistan | Undetectable | UK blood donor | Negative | No | Sample/cutoff ratio >80† |
| J | 38 | Iraq | 0.001 | UK blood donor | Unknown | Yes | None |
*All case-patients were male. HTLV-1, human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1; IVF, in vitro fertilization.
†For an enzyme immunoassay assay.
Page created: March 18, 2019
Page updated: March 18, 2019
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