Seroepidemiological survey of HTLV-I infection among randomized populations of western central African countries

Between 1987 and 1988, a survey to determine the distribution of HTLV-I infection was conducted in a representative population of adults, living in southern Chad, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea. Populations studied were selected by the cluster sampling technique. Sera were tested for IgG antibodies to HTLV-I by ELISA. ELISA-positive sera were retested by Western blot. The study comprised 2,301 adults, all apparently healthy. Crude prevalence rates range from 0.5 to 11.8%. We found three clearly different areas of HTLV-I seroprevalence rates. An area of low seropositivity in southern Chad and northern Cameroon (0.5-2.0%), an area of moderate seropositivity in the savannah region of Ngaoundere, Cameroon (4.2%) and in Bata, Equatorial Guinea (6.5%), and lastly an area of high seropositivity (8.6-11.8%) in the equatorial forest area of Equatorial Guinea and southern Cameroon. HTLV-I seroprevalence rates increased with age up to 12.6% after 40 years old in the areas of high seropositivity. There was no difference between male and female age-adjusted prevalence rates in all of the areas studied.