Seroprevalence of HIV and HTLV in a representative sample of the Spanish population

HIV and HTLV seroprevalence was determined by means of unlinked anonymous testing of 2144 sera, originally obtained from primary care patients by representative sampling of the Spanish population aged 15-39 years in 1996. HIV-1 seroprevalence was 4.3 per 1000 population in the 15-39 years age group [95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.5-10.7] and 5.6 per 1000 (95 % CI, 1.8-15.3) in the 20-39 years age group. Seroprevalence proved higher in males and urban residents. No antibodies to HIV-2 and HTLV-I were detected in any of the sera studied. However, presence of antibodies to HTLV-II was confirmed in one serum sample, while HTLV seroreactivity, though detected in another, could not be typed. The two HTLV-positive results equated to a seroprevalence of 1.9 per 1000 in the 20-39 years age group (95 % CI, 0.3-8.6). HIV-1 seroprevalence was consistent with previous estimates yielded by backcalculation. The level of HTLV seroprevalence found suggests endemicity.