Is this mom testing positive for the virus or just the antibody to the virus? Some tests look for the actual virus, some for antibodies to a virus. This is an important distinction. Most labs test for the antibody. If she's retested and still tests positive, the test can be confirmed by a Western Blot. I have yet to hear of a woman testing positive for this, although our milk bank screens all donors for HTLV-1. If she really has the virus, it can be transmitted through the breastmilk. Chances are the Western Blot will be negative. Let us know what happens. Elizabeth Puzar, IBCLC San Jose, California