Elaine, You wrote, "Does anyone know how prevalent HTLV is in populations 
they work with?
I personally have never seen it. 
Have people seen firsthand how long it takes to develop? (IF it
develops).
I know that years ago it was associated (in my mind) with HIV, but my
reading tells me that
knowledge of  the disease has changed." 

According to one website, "The American Red Cross has reported 0.025% HTLV-1 
seropositivity among blood donors in the United States." referenced to an 
article in Science dated in 1988
http://www.thedoctorsdoctor.com/diseases/htlv1.htm

I believe this same website states that the lifetime risk among carriers of 
HTLV-1 for leukemia is approximately 5%.

I went to the CDC website on US statistics for particular diseases.  There is 
no listing for HTLV-1.  Maybe someone else can find it??  Or maybe it is no 
longer considered a disease? In another website the "prevalence" of HTLV-1 is 
stated as "uncommon."    

Robert Gallo is considered by some scientists to have isolated the first 
retrovirus, HTLV-1   There is some question to whether he collaborated with 
Japanese scientists or whether he appropriated their virus.  Robert Gallo is 
considered by some scientists  to have isolated the HIV virus also.  There are some 
scientists who believe that isolation of this virus has not happened yet.  This 
discovery was announced by the US Department of Health and thus the normal 
step in scientific discovery, publication and peer review was sidestepped.  He 
appropriated the French scientist, Montagnier's virus (from the Pasteur 
Institute) in developing the blood test for hiv/aids.  The US Office of Research 
Integrity found Gallo guilty of scientific misconduct.  The patents regarding the 
test kits of hiv are owned by Gallo, the US government and the French--a 
compromise for the appropriation I suppose.

The HTLV-1 question on this listed started with a mom in the USA having cord 
blood tested and that cord blood was considered to be HTLV-1 positive.  I 
think others have suggested this and I agree that this mom ought to consider 
retesting.   She needs to know what past health conditions  might make her cord 
blood test a false positive. (malaria is one disease that some scientists believe 
causes a false positive on this test).  This would be particularly important, 
if she is not in a risk group--Japanese, African-American, Caribbean, Central 
or South American.
Valerie W. McClain

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