Doctors alarmed by ancient HTLV-1 virus: ‘Prevalence is off the charts’ in Australia

An ancient virus infecting residents across Australia’s Northern Territory is leaving death and despair in its path, and doctors are now calling for greater efforts to stop the spread of infections.  The rates of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1, or HTLV-1, infection are exceeding 40% among adults in remote

regions of central Australia, with indigenous communities being the hardest hit, especially in the town of Alice Springs. Many doctors — including the man who discovered the virus nearly four decades ago — are raising the alarm about how little has been done to prevent, test for and treat HTLV-1, which can cause leukemia and lymphoma.  READ MORE