@article {Martinsextrans-2021-055241, author = {Fabiola Martin and Charles F Gilks and Robert Gibb and Alana Jenkins and Melinda Protani and Fleur Francis and Andrew M Redmond and Graham Neilsen and David Mudge and Martin Wolley and Enzo Binotto and Robert Norton and Graeme R Nimmo and Claire Heney}, title = {Human T-cell leukaemia virus type 1 and Adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma in Queensland, Australia: a retrospective cross-sectional study}, elocation-id = {sextrans-2021-055241}, year = {2022}, doi = {10.1136/sextrans-2021-055241}, publisher = {The Medical Society for the Study of Venereal Disease}, abstract = {Objectives Human T-cell leukaemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), an STI, is reported to be highly prevalent in Indigenous communities in Central Australia. HTLV-1 is an incurable, chronic infection which can cause Adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATL). ATL is associated with high morbidity and mortality, with limited treatment options. We studied the prevalence of HTLV-1 and ATL in the state of Queensland, Australia.Methods Serum samples stored at healthcare services in Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns and at haemodialysis units in Brisbane (2018{\textendash}2019) were screened for HTLV-1/2 antibodies using the Abbott ARCHITECT chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) for antibodies against gp46-I, gp46-II and GD21 (Abbott CMIA, ARCHITECT). Reactive samples were confirmed through Western blot. Pooled Australian National Cancer Registry surveillance data reporting on cases coded for ATL (2004{\textendash}2015) were analysed.Results Two out of 2000 hospital and health services samples were confirmed HTLV-1-positive (0.1\%, 95\% CI 0.02\% to 0.4\%), both in older women, one Indigenous and one non-Indigenous. All 540 haemodialysis samples tested negative for HTLV. All samples were HTLV-2-negative. Ten out of 42 (24.8\%) reported cases of ATL in Australia were from Queensland (crude incidence rate 0.025/100 000; 95\% CI 0.011 to 0.045); most cases were seen in adult men of non-Indigenous origin. Nineteen deaths due to ATL were recorded in Australia.Conclusion We confirm that HTLV-1 and ATL were detected in Queensland in Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. These results highlight the need for HTLV-1 prevalence studies in populations at risk of STIs to allow the implementation of focused public health sexual and mother-to-child transmission prevention strategies.}, issn = {1368-4973}, URL = {https://sti.bmj.com/content/early/2022/05/06/sextrans-2021-055241}, eprint = {https://sti.bmj.com/content/early/2022/05/06/sextrans-2021-055241.full.pdf}, journal = {Sexually Transmitted Infections} }