Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
3369177 Journal of Clinical Virology 2013 4 Pages PDF
Abstract

The Human T-Lymphotropic Virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a single-stranded RNA retrovirus that preferentially infects CD4+ T cells. The spectrum of diseases that are associated with the most frequent genotype, the HTLV-1 cosmopolitan subtype A, has been well described. In contrast, very few cases of HTLV-1 related diseases have been reported for the HTLV-1 subtype C variant, which is endemic to Australia and the nearby islands of Melanesia. Here we describe the first case of infective dermatitis associated with the HTLV-1 Australo-Melanesian subtype C. This was complicated by repeated episodes of invasive infection with Staphylococcus aureus and illustrates the life-threatening nature of infective dermatitis among HTLV-1 carriers who live in conditions of social disadvantage.

Related Topics
Life Sciences Immunology and Microbiology Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Authors
, , , ,