Abstract:
We compared the genetic diversity of the Brazilian human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 isolates with those found in KwaZulu–Natal (KZN), South Africa, and with the genetic background of the hosts. The seroprevalence rate in KZN was 1.7%.
All sequences belonged to the A subgroup. The presence of South African sequences in two different clusters from Brazil, and the finding of the bA-globin haplotype in infected hosts are consistent with the transmission of this virus from Southern Africa to Brazil.
