HTLV-II among injecting drug users in Stockholm.

134 injecting drug users (IDUs) treated at the Department of Infectious Diseases of Roslagstull Hospital, Stockholm, were tested for antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus, types I and II, by means of 2 HTLV-I/-II peptide-based enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), followed by a whole-virus EIA. Positive EIA reactions were checked and typed by electrophoretic immunoblotting with native HTLV-I and recombinant HTLV-I and -II proteins. 10 IDUs were diagnosed as HTLV-II seropositive. All 10 were of Scandinavian descent. Thus, like HIV-1, HTLV-II infection has entered the injecting drug user population in Stockholm.