Seguimiento seroepidemiológico de contactos sexuales de individuos seropositivos al HTLV-I en Cuba

introduction: the human t cell lymphotropic virus type i (htlv-i) is considered to be endemic in the caribbean area, with rates of seroprevalence from 3 to 6 %. its routes of transmission are sexual, vertical and parenteral. it also circulates in cuba, though seroprevalence is much lower. heterosexual transmission is a frequently reported way of contagion. objectives: to determine htlv-i seroprevalence in the sexual partners of htlv-i infected individuals and also to assess important epidemiological factors that could have an impact on the transmission. methods: a prospective sero epidemiological follow-up study was conducted with the sexual partners of the htlv-i infected individuals who were identified by the national program of std/hiv/aids. after counseling sessions and well-informed consent, an epidemiological survey was designed using data from the sexual partners and their serological follow up. diagnosis was based on the elisa and western blot davih htlv-i and davih blot htlv-i systems, and the statistical processing used epidat program. results: seropositivity of the sexual partners was significantly higher in men than in women (53.3% vs. 9.09%, p< 0.05). the average time of exposure of the positive and negative partners of men and women did not show significant difference. conclusion: the results revealed greater efficiency in the transmission of htlv-i from men to women and also evinced its presence in cuba as sexually-transmitted disease. the authors believe that this information should be used during the counseling service.