PREVALENCE OF HTLV-1/2 INFECTION IN PERU: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Quiroz-Ruiz H.R.; Miranda-Ulloa E.; León-Torres C.A.; Bardales-Vásquez C.B. · Revista de la Facultad de Medicina Humana (2026) · DOI: 10.25176/rfmh.v26i2.8422

Resumen

Epidemiological information on human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) infection in Peru is heterogeneous, fragmented, and outdated. This meta-analysis, registered in PROSPERO under the code CRD420251143444 and conducted according to PRISMA, aimed to estimate the updated prevalence of HTLV-1/2 infection based on studies conducted in Peru, including prioritized groups. PubMed and Scopus were searched, and observational studies reporting prevalence data, number of positive cases, and sample size were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool. Pooled prevalences were estimated using a random-effects model with Logit transformation, and heterogeneity was assessed with I². Twenty-six studies were included, with a total sample of 42,780 individuals. The pooled prevalence of HTLV-1/2 infection was 3.9% (95%CI: 2.2-6.9), with high heterogeneity (I²=99%). The highest prevalences were observed among relatives and people with associated diseases, with 27.0% (95%CI: 24.5-29.6), relatives of infected individuals, with 25.5% (95%CI: 17.7-35.3), and female sex workers, with 9.3% (95%CI: 8.3-10.3). Lower prevalences were found in Amazonian populations, men who have sex with men, pregnant women, and blood donors. Because of the high heterogeneity and the inclusion of specific populations, the pooled prevalence should not be interpreted as a national estimate. HTLV-1/2 infection constitutes a relevant public health problem in the groups evaluated. Articulo publicado por la Revista de la Facultad de Medicina Humana de la Universidad Ricardo Palma. Es un artículo de acceso abierto, distribuído bajo los términos de la Licencia Creative Commons: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), que permite el uso no comercial, distribución y reproducción en cualquier medio, siempre que la obra original sea debidamente citada. Para uso comercial, por favor póngase en contacto con revista.medicina@urp.pe

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Trujillo; Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego