ENDEMIC INFECTION WITH HTLV-IIB IN VENEZUELAN INDIANS - MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION

The peripheral blood of 41 Yaruro and Guahibo Indians from Venezuela w as examined for HTLV antibodies and DNA. Twenty-five samples (61%) wer e found to be infected with HTLV-IIB. The sensitivities of the serolog ic and DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses were 80% and 96%, respectively. Epidemiologic studies supported both sexual and perinata l transmission of the virus. Sequence analyses of the HTLV-IIB strains from these Indians indicate that they are unique relative to HTLV-LI detected in other groups of humans. HTLV-IIB-G2 isolated from a Guahib o Indian is the most divergent HTLV-IIB strain relative to the prototy pe HTLV-II NRA.