Prevalence of antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) in an HIV-endemic region of Africa.

Serum samples from 267 healthy subjects and patients either infected or not infected with HIV-1 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot techniques for evidence of HTLV-1 infection. Specific antibodies were detected in only 1% of the sera. Positive sera were likely to be from individuals infected with HIV-1. Tanzania and probably the other East African countries are non-endemic for HTLV-1. Prevalences are too low to provide justification for screening of blood donations. However, screening of donor blood for HIV-1 will limit transmission of HTLV-1 by this route as well.