January 2024
HTLV 1 or 2
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Maternal/Parental Infections HTLV 1 or 2
HTLV 1 or 2
Transmission of the human T cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 requires transfer of live infected T lymphocytes from breastmilk, semen, or blood.1 Vertical transmission of HTLV 1/2 has been shown to be greater through breastfeeding than through pregnancy, labor & delivery. Prevention of breastfeeding is considered a proven intervention to prevent maternal child transmission. There are no clinical trials of ART to prevent transmission of these viruses via breastmilk.2,3
References
(1) Carneiro-Proietti, A. B. F.; Amaranto-Damasio, M. S.; Leal-Horiguchi, C. F.; Bastos, R. H. C.; Seabra-Freitas, G.; Borowiak, D. R.; Ribeiro, M. A.; Proietti, F. A.; Ferreira, A. S. D.; Martins, M. L. Mother-to-Child Transmission of Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Viruses-1/2: What We Know, and What Are the Gaps in Understanding and Preventing This Route of Infection. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2014, 3 Suppl 1, S24-29. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpids/piu070.
(2) Meek, J. Y.; Noble, L.; Section on Breastfeeding. Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Pediatrics 2022, 150 (1), e2022057988. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-057988.
(3) Rosadas, C.; Taylor, G. P. Mother-to-Child HTLV-1 Transmission: Unmet Research Needs. Frontiers in Microbiology 2019, 10.