How to diagnose Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 ?
How is human T-cell leukemia virus, type 1 diagnosed? Human T-cell leukemia virus, type 1 (HTLV-1) is usually diagnosed based on blood tests that detect antibodies to the virus. However, HTLV-1 is often never suspected or diagnosed since most people (95%) never develop any signs or symptoms of the infection. Diagnosis may occur during screening for blood donation, testing performed due to a family history of the infection, or a work-up for an HTLV-1-associated condition such as adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) or HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP).