Background: The distribution of HTLV affects nearly 7 million people around the world. The prevalence of this infection varies among different geographic regions as well as populations. Objective: The objective of this review was to present the epidemiological data on HTLV infection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Method: This review consisted of cataloging various studies, published articles and summaries presented in scientific conferences having as a subject of interest the epidemiology of HTLV in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The search was done using MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase (Via Ovid), Cochrane, Google scholar, and POPLINE. To identify the articles from the different sources, the search was carried out using the following keywords: “HTLV, HTLV Infection, HTLV Epidemiology, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo”. Publications were selected according to the relevance of the methodology as well as the results and the representativeness of the samples. Results: In 1990, Kayembe K. et al. conducted a study in the city of Lisala on 32 patients screened for chronic symmetrical spastic paraparesis of which 25 (96%) had anti-HTLV-1 markers in their serum. Goubau P. et al. had 102 sera samples collected in 1970 from a population of Bambuti pygmies in Zaire, 14 (13.7%) were positive for HTLV-2. Jeannel D. et al. conducted a study in Inongo in 1990 on 1162 patients, 36 (3.1%) were positive for anti-HTLV-1 markers. In the same year, Moulia-Pelat J.P. et al. conducted 2 studies, one on 230 Pygmies and the other on 680 Bantu, the prevalence of HTLV markers was 8.3% and 5.5% in Pygmies and Bantu respectively. In another study carried out by Goubau P. et al. in 1993, the prevalence of HTLV varied between 1% among pregnant women in Kinshasa and 15% among blood donors in Basankusu in Zaire. In 1995, Eric Delaporte et al. worked on 2349 different samples, 43 cases (3.7%) of pregnant women and 86 cases (7.3%) of prostitutes were diagnosed positive for HTLV. Between 1994 and 1998, 41 samples from women with spastic paralysis of the lower limbs were collected by Tshala KD et al., no sample was positive for HTLV. Conclusion: This analysis shows that HTLV infection was of interest in the nineties and has lost interest today. Its prevalence in this decade was between 1% and 15% in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was higher than that of HIV during the same period.
Cite this paper
Kabasele, J. Y. D. , Mwanaut, I. M. , Chuga, D. , Okonda, M. O. , Thsibumbu, C. K. , Ilombe, L. , Makoka, S. K. , Basele, C. I. , Kateba, E. T. , Bulanda, B. I. , Bongenya, B. I. and Kamangu, E. N. (2022). Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus (HTLV-1) Infection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Review of a Forgotten Epidemic. Open Access Library Journal, 9, e8219. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1108219.
Tagaya, Y. and Gallo, R.C. (2017) The Exceptional Oncogenicity of HTLV-A. Frontiers in Microbiology, 8, Article No. 1425. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01425
Kengne, M., Tsata, D.C.W., Ndomgue, T. and Nwobegahay, J.M. (2018) Prevalence and Risk Factors of HTLV-1/2 and Other Blood Borne Infectious Diseases among Blood Donors in Yaounde Central Hospital, Cameroon. The Pan African Medical Journal, 30, Article No. 125. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2018.30.125.14802
Yamanashi, H., Koyamatsu, J., Nagayoshi, M., Shimizu, Y., Kawashiri, S., Kondo, H., et al. (2018) Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus-1 Infection Is Associated with Atherosclerosis as Measured by Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Japanese Community-Dwelling Older People. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 67, 291-294.
https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciy168
Kalyanaraman, V.S., Sarngadharan, M.G., Robert-Guroff, M., Miyoshi, I., Golde, D. and Gallo, R.C. (1982) A New Subtype of Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus (HTLV-II) Associated with a T-Cell Variant of Hairy Cell Leukemia. Science, 218, 571-573.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.6981847
Satake, M., Yamaguchi, K. and Tadokoro, K. (2012) Current Prevalence of HTLV-1 in Japan as Determined by Screening of Blood Donors. Journal of Medical Virology, 84, 327-335. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.23181
Cassar, O., Charavay, F., Bassot, S., Plancoulaine, S., Grangeon, J.-P. and Laumond-Barny, S. (2012) Divergent KSHV/HHV-8 Subtype D Stains in New Caledonia and Solomon Islands, Melanesia. Journal of Clinical Virology, 53, 214-218.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcv.2011.12.016
Biggar, R.J., Buskell-Bales, Z., Yakshe, P.N., Caussy, D., Gridley, G. and Seeff, L. (1991) Antibody to Human Retrovirus among Drug Users in Three East Coast American Cities, 1972-1976. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 163, 57-63.
https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/163.1.57
Khabbaz, R.F., Onorato, I.M., Cannon, R.O., Hartley, T.M., Roberts, B., Hosein, B., et al. (1992) Seroprevalence of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 among Intravenous Drug Users and Persons in Clinics for Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New England Journal of Medicine, 326, 375-380. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199202063260604
Schreiber, G.B., Murphy, E.L., Horton, J.A., Wright, D.J., Garfein, R., Chien, H., et al. (1997) Risks Factors for Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Types I and II (HTLV-I and -II) in Blood Donors: The Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study. NHLBI Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology, 14, 263-271.
https://doi.org/10.1097/00042560-199703010-00011
Murphy, E.L., Figueroa, J.P., Gibbs, W.N., Brathwaite, A., Holding-Cobham, M., Waters, D., et al. (1989) Sexual Transmission of Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type I (HTLV-I). Annals of Internal Medicine, 111, 555-560.
https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-111-7-555
Manns, A., Willks, R.J., Murphy, E.L., Haynes, G., Figueroa, J.P., Barnett, M., et al. (1992) A Prospective Study of Transmission by Transfusion of HTLV-I and Risk Factors Associated with Seroconversion. International Journal of Cancer, 51, 886-891.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.2910510609
Donegan, E., Lee, H., Operskalski, E.A., Shaw, G., Kleinman, S., Busch, M., et al. (1994) Transfusion Transmission of Retroviruses: Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Types I and II Compared with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1. Transfusion, 34, 478-483. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1537-2995.1994.34694295061.x
Kazadi, K., Goubau, P., Desmyter, J., Vlietinck, R. and Carton, H. (1990) A Cluster of HTLV-1 Associated Tropical Spastic Paraperesis in Equateur (Zaire): Ethnic and Familial Distribution. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 53, 4-10.
https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.53.1.4
Goubau, P., Liu, H.F., De Lange, G.G., Vandamme, A.M. and Desmyter, J. (1993) HTLV-II seroprevalence in Pygmies across Africa since 1970. AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, 9, 709-713. https://doi.org/10.1089/aid.1993.9.709
Jeannel, D., Garin, B., Kazadi, K., Singa, L. and De Thé, G. (1993) The Risk of Tropical Spastic Paraparesis Differs according to Ethnic Group among HTLV-1 Carriers in Inongo, Zaire. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 6, 840-844.
Moulia-Pelat, J.P., Makuwa, M., Penchenier, L., Jannin, J., Fadat, G. and Miehakanda, J. (1992) Les Pygmées: Une ethnie à l’abri des MST? Médecine d’Afrique Noire, 39, 140-141.
Goubau, P., Desmyter, J., Swanson, P., Reynders, M., Shih, J., Surmont, I., Kazadi, K. and Lee, H. (1993) Detection of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 Infection in Africans Using Type-Specific Envelope Peptides. Journal of Medical Virology, 39, 28-32.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.1890390107
Delaporte, E., Buve, A., Nzila, N., Goeman, J., Dazza, M.C., Henzel, D., Heyward, W., St-Louis, M., Piot, P. and Laga, M. (1995) HTLV-1 Infection among Prostitutes and Pregnant Women in Kinshasa, Zaire: How Important Is High-Risk Sexual Behavior? International Retrovirology Association, 8, 511-515.
https://doi.org/10.1097/00042560-199504120-00012
Tshala, K.D., Nunga, M., Pukuta, S., Mutombo, L., Beya, E., Tshoko, K. and Mampunza, M. (1999) Coexistence de l’hysterie de masse, du konzo et du virus HTLV-1 en République Démocratique du Congo. Médecine Tropicale: Revue du corps de sante colonial, 59, 378-382.
Nelson, A.M., Hassig, S.E., Kayembe, M., Okonda, L., Mulanga, K., Brown, C., Kayembe, K., Kalengayi, M.M. and Mucclic, F.G. (1991) HIV-1 Seropositivity and Mortality at University Hospital, Kinshasa, Zaire, 1987. AIDS, 5, 583-586.
https://doi.org/10.1097/00002030-199105000-00018
Ryder, R.W., Nsuami, M., Nsa, W., Kamenga, M., Badi, N., Utshudi, M. and Heyward, W.L. (1994) Mortality in HIV-1 Seropositive Women, Their Spouses and Their Newly Born Children during 36 Months of Follow-up in Kinshasa, Zaire. AIDS, 8, 667-672.
https://doi.org/10.1097/00002030-199405000-00014
