Rare STD claims one life in Nunavut

SARA MINOGUE

Almost 20 cases of a rare and untreatable sexually transmitted disease have been diagnosed in Nunavut and one person has already died from the virus, health officials say.

“There has been at least one death that can be attributed to a T-cell leukemia or lymphoma associated with [the virus],” said Dr. Isaac Sobol, Nunavut’s chief medical officer of health.

Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus, Type 1, or HTLV-1, was first detected in a person with adult T-cell lymphoma-leukemia in June.

It usually takes 10 to 20 years for the virus to trigger this disease, which means that the virus has been present in Nunavut for a long time.

If the name of the disease is not familiar, that’s because the illness is better known in Asia and Africa than Canada.

“Many health professionals would have trouble recognizing the name of this virus,” Dr. Sobol said.

Nonetheless, Nunavummiut should be prepared to start protecting themselves from the possibility of infection.

HTLV-1 is a retrovirus in the same category as AIDS. It is spread through unprotected sex, needle-sharing or from mothers to their babies.

Only four per cent of people who are infected with the virus will ever get sick from it, but if you do get sick, there is no cure. Symptoms may involve a loss of strength in the lower limbs and a loss of bladder control. Eventually, victims can develop cancers of the blood — leukemia or lymphoma — and diseases of the nervous system.

Sobol did not reveal the names or communities of any of the victims in order to protect their privacy. He also declined to say whether the other people infected are in good health, and whether all of the cases — up to 20 — were related to one initial case.

Health and social services is busy tracing all of the people in contact with the victims in order to test them for the disease, and ensure that they know how to avoid spreading it to others.

The GN will also do anonymous, unlinked testing of blood samples taken at random from across Nunavut to see how prevalent the virus is in the population. They expect to know how widespread the illness is within about six months.

HTLV-1 is extremely rare in Canada. The last outbreak was in 1993 in B.C., when three people were found with the disease.

Nunavut health professionals have been made aware of the disease. The final briefings were finished last Wednesday. A public information campaign — including fact sheets and safe sex promotion — is underway.

The federal Public Health Agency has been alerted and has approved the GN’s response to the disease.

“I have mentioned to the federal government that they should have a heads-up that we may be asking for more resources,” Sobol said.

Canadian Blood Services (previously the Red Cross) has screened all of its blood donations for HTLV-1 since April 1990. On average, they find 10 to 12 cases for every 900,000 blood samples received.

Nunavummiut can safely avoid the disease by:

* Using a condom every time you have sex — there’s no excuse not to, because condoms are available for free at public health centres;
* And, not sharing needles for tattooing or drugs.

The disease cannot be spread or caught through casual interaction, such as kissing, shaking hands, or cooking dinner with someone.

The government of Nunavut is offering free, confidential testing to any Nunavummiut who might be at risk of having the disease.

Those include:

* people who have had unprotected sex or been in intimate contact with someone who has the disease (Health staff will notify those people directly and in confidence)
* Women who are breastfeeding or who plan to breastfeed soon;
* And people who are concerned for any reason that they may have been exposed. Health officials will not refuse a test to anyone who asks.

It can take four to six weeks to obtain the results of a blood test.
For more information about the disease, or if you think you are at risk, visit your local health centre.