PREVALENCE OF HUMAN T-CELL LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS (HTLV) TYPE-I AND TYPE-II AND HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 INFECTIONS AMONG PERSONS WITH HANSENS-DISEASE IN NEW-YORK-CITY

One-hundred seven consecutive patients attending a New York Hansen's d isease clinic from November 1990 through June 1991 were tested for ret roviruses. This cohort included 58 patients diagnosed with Hansen's di sease after the onset of the AIDS epidemic, 54 of whom immigrated to t he United States before diagnosis of Hansen's disease (median, 7 years ). The overall rate (1.9%) of human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) t ype I infection was low. Two (3.6%) of 55 Caribbean-born patients had polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-documented HTLV-I infection, but this incidence was not higher than expected in persons without Hansen's dis ease. No patient had PCR-documented evidence of either HTLV-II or huma n immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 infection. The low rate of HIV-1 among those studied was likely related to an absence of classic HIV r isk behavior because about half of the cohort could have incubated Myc obacterium leprae for a prolonged period while infected with HIV-1.