Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus (HTLV) infection in Uruguay: identification of problems Prevalence estimation, screening analysis and clinical management in blood donors in the 2012-2014 period

Since 2000 in Uruguay, a screening test for human T-cell lymphotropic virus infection (HTLV) is required for all blood donors. The purpose of the present work was to determine the prevalence of HTLV infection, and evaluate the methods of study and the protocols used for the clinical management of the patients. We obtained data from different national blood banks available in the Hemotherapy Service Reports of Uruguay performed by the National Blood Service between 2012 and 2014. Selected interviews were performed with academic referents of the Hemotherapy Service, the Department of Clinical Pathology and the Chair of Infectious Diseases from the Hospital de Clinicas. From a total of 297,371 data analyzed, we determined a total prevalence of 0.13% in blood donors in that period, with significant differences between subsectors of the health system and geographic regions of Uruguay. Interviews conducted with technical referents indicate that no confirmatory methods are performed nor are there protocols for clinical follow-up of seropositive individuals in our country. The analysis indicates that seropositivity for this virus and management in blood donors during the period 2012-2014 in Uruguay shows a significant number of infected individuals, inexistence of confirmatory methods and lack of protocols of clinical management for infected patients.