[Prevalence of human T-lymphotropic virus, Type 1 and 2 in blood donors and patients with sexually transmissible diseases in Surinam].

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infection in the population of Surinam in order to enhance the safety of blood transfusion in Surinam.

DESIGN

Descriptive.

SETTING

Academic Hospital, Paramaribo, Surinam.

METHOD

Blood was examined of the 777 regular donors (constituting 97% of the total pool) who donated blood between February 1 and June 1 1995 at the Blood Transfusion Centre of the Surinam Red Cross in Paramaribo, and also of the 140 patients with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) seen during the same period at the Dermatology centre of the Ministry of Health. All sera were screened with a particle agglutination test. Sera which were not negative were subsequently tested with a western blot method which distinguishes between HTLV-1 and HTLV-2.

RESULTS

Three sera (0.4%) of the blood donors and 2 (1.4%) of the STD patients were positive for HTLV-1 (difference not significant). Nobody was found to be HTLV-2 positive.

CONCLUSION

The HTLV-1 prevalence in the Surinam blood donors is similar to that of blood donors and the general population of many regions in Brazil but substantially lower than in several other regions in the Caribbean. Since examination of all donated blood is not a realistic option in Surinam it is recommended that all new regular blood donors should be tested for HTLV antibodies.