[Correspondence] Time to eradicate HTLV-1: an open letter to WHO (Lancet)

Human T-cell leukaemia virus 1 (HTLV-1) is the most potent carcinogenic oncovirus and potentially the most oncogenic risk factor including chemical carcinogens.1 A unique and aggressive T-cell leukaemia (adult T-cell leukemia) was discovered in Japan,2,3 from which a new retrovirus, HTLV-1, was identified in the USA4 and then in Japan,5 independently. In addition to adult T-cell leukaemia, HTLV-1 causes progressive and disabling inflammatory conditions, such as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis6,7 (HAM/TSP), associated with high morbidity and mortality.