Human T-lymphotropic Virus 1

Human T-lymphotropic Virus 1

Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus or Human T-lymphotropic virus Type 1 (HTLV-I), also called the Adult T-cell lymphoma virus type 1, a virus that has been implicated in several kinds of diseases including HTLV-I-associated myelopathy, Strongyloides stercoralis hyper-infection, and a virus cancer link for leukemia (see adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma). Between one in twenty and one in twenty-five infected persons are thought to develop cancer as a result of the virus.

HTLV was discovered in 1977 in Japan. The virus was first isolated by Bernard Poiesz and Francis Ruscetti and their co-workers in the laboratory of Robert C. Gallo at the NCI. It was the first identified human retrovirus.

Infection with HTLV-I, like infection with other retroviruses, probably occurs for life and can be inferred when antibodies against HTLV-1 are detected in the serum.

Read more about Human T-lymphotropic Virus 1:  Genetics, Signs and Symptoms, Prevalence, Transmission, Tropism, Opportunistic Infections, Treatment

Famous quotes containing the words human and/or virus:

    Why hast thou nothing in thy face?
    Thou idol of the human race,
    Thou tyrant of the human heart,
    The flower of lovely youth that art;
    Robert Bridges (1844–1930)

    Think of the earth as a living organism that is being attacked by billions of bacteria whose numbers double every forty years. Either the host dies, or the virus dies, or both die.
    Gore Vidal (b. 1925)