H. Yoshizaki et al., NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE VARIATION OF HUMAN T-LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS TYPE-II IN VIETNAM, Japanese journal of cancer research, 88(9), 1997, pp. 787-791
A high rate of human T-lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II) infection
has been documented in intravenous drug abusers (IVDAs) in South Vietn
am. We have investigated the molecular characteristics of the virus an
d have shown that one HTLV-TI subtype is predominant in Ho Chi Minh Ci
ty. This molecular subtype, HTLV-IIb, was identified in a number of So
uth Vietnamese by nucleotide sequence analysis of the long terminal re
peat (LTR) region. HTLV-IIa was not found. These findings suggest that
HTLV-III, is endemic in IVDAs in South Vietnam, although IVDAs in urb
an areas in North America are predominantly infected with HTLV-IIa.