Prevalence of HTLV-I compared to HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies in different groups in the Ivory Coast (West Africa)

Different Ivorian population groups were comparatively tested for antibodies to HTLV-1, HIV-1, and HIV-2. They included 1,334 healthy individuals, 176 unselected medical patients in regional hospitals, 149 female prostitutes, and 65 males with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) collected in 1987 from four regions (east, north, west, and central). The HTLV-1 prevalence averaged 1 to 2.7% in the different regions, without significant increase in sexually overexposed groups. Furthermore, in Dabou Protestant Hospital, 60 km west of Abidjan, 414 blood donors, 109 asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals, and 181 AIDS clinical cases were also tested. While a significant increase in the prevalence of HTLV-1 antibodies was observed only in AIDS patients. HIV-1 and HIV-2 prevalence increased, as expected, from a low rate (2.4%) in the general population to an intermediate rate (13-15%) in blood donors and unselected hospitalized patients and to a high rate (35%) in prostitutes and STD male patients.