BMJ 1995;311:1313-1314 (18 November)

Editorials

HTLV-I screening in Britain

Time for a reappraisal

The human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus type I (HTLV-I) was isolated nearly 17 years ago from a patient who had what is now called adult T cell leukaemia/lymphoma. This aggressive condition responds poorly to chemotherapy, with a median survival of only a few months.1 HTLV-I is also unequivocally linked with tropical spastic paraparesis, a progressive, unremitting myelopathy for which there is no specific treatment. HTLV-I is transmitted through sexual intercourse (especially from men to women), breast feeding, sharing intravenous needles, and blood transfusion. Between 12.8% and 63.4% of people receiving blood infected with HTLV-I will seroconvert.2 3 Fresh blood products (those less than six days old) have a transmission efficiency of 80%.2

Transfusion services in Britain do not currently screen blood donors for HTLV-I. This policy is based on a low prevalence of HTLV-I among British blood donors (ranging from 1 in 19000 donors in North London . . . [Full text of this article]


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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Flanagan, P. (1996). Making British blood supply safer. BMJ 312: 1674-1674 [Full text]  
  • Barclay, K. M, Barclay, P. M (1996). Infertility may lead couples to adopt children. BMJ 312: 707-707 [Full text]  
  • Harrison, P, Ala, F A, Milligan, D W, Skidmore, S (1996). Failure to screen may be a false economy. BMJ 312: 706a-707 [Full text]  
  • Weber, J N, Taylor, G P (1996). Antenatal screening is important. BMJ 312: 706b-706 [Full text]  
  • Harrison, P, Ala, F A, Milligan, D W, Skidmore, S (1996). Failure to screen may be a false economy. BMJ 312: 706c-707 [Full text]  
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