HTLV-1 infection in solid organ transplant donors and recipients in Spain

HTLV-1 infection is a neglected disease, despite infecting 10-15 million people worldwide and severe illnesses develop in 10% of carriers lifelong. Acknowledging a greater risk for developing HTLV-1 associated illnesses due to immunosuppression, screening is being widely considered in the transplantation setting. Herein, we report the experience with universal HTLV testing of donors and recipients of solid organ transplants in a survey conducted in Spain. All hospitals belonging to the Spanish HTLV network were invited to participate in the study. Briefly, HTLV antibody screening was performed retrospectively in all specimens collected from solid organ donors and recipients attended since the year 2008. A total of 5751 individuals were tested for HTLV antibodies at 8 sites. Donors represented 2312 (42.2%), of whom 17 (0.3%) were living kidney donors. The remaining 3439 (59.8%) were recipients. Spaniards represented nearly 80%. Overall, 9 individuals (0.16%) were initially reactive for HTLV antibodies. Six were donors and 3 were recipients. Using confirmatory tests, HTLV-1 could be confirmed in only two donors, one Spaniard and another from Colombia. Both kidneys of the Spaniard were inadvertently transplanted. Subacute myelopathy developed within 1 year in one recipient. The second recipient seroconverted for HTLV-1 but the kidney had to be removed soon due to rejection. Immunosuppression was stopped and 3 years later the patient remains in dialysis but otherwise asymptomatic. The rate of HTLV-1 is low but not negligible in donors/recipients of solid organ transplants in Spain. Universal HTLV screening should be recommended in all donor and recipients of solid organ transplantation in Spain. Evidence is overwhelming for very high virus transmission and increased risk along with the rapid development of subacute myelopathy

La evaluación colegiada de las competencias básicas en la Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias : hacia un modelo de escuela inclusiva y sostenible

Precede al título: Educación Primaria y Educación Secundaria ObligatoriaLa Ley Orgánica de Educación (LOE) introduce el concepto de «competencias básicas» como eje articulador del currículo, conectando de pleno con las reflexiones y las estrategias que se están desarrollando en otros sistemas educativos internacionales a la luz del informe Delors (1996), el documento DeSeCo (Definición y Selección de Competencias fundamentales) elaborado por la OCDE, de las evaluaciones PISA (Programa para la Evaluación Internacional del Alumnado), etc. Esta propuesta centra el foco en la dimensión formativa de la «evaluación», aspecto inacabado con la LOGSE (Ley Orgánica General del Sistema Educativo), a pesar de los esfuerzos realizados en esa dirección. Trabajar en las aulas para la consecución de las «competencias básicas» lleva ineludiblemente al problema de cómo evaluarlas de forma colegiada —cuando la propia ordenación del sistema educativo fragmenta cada una de las enseñanzas en diferentes áreas o materias— y de cómo emplear la información que proporciona esta labor para hacer valer el sentido formativo y regulador que debe tener la evaluación de las competencias básicas.Consejería de Educación y Universidades. Dirección General de Ordenación, Innovación y Promoción Educativa; Avda. Buenos Aires, 5; 38071 Tenerife; Tel. +34922592592; Fax +34922592570; [email protected]

HTLV-1 infection among Latin American pregnant women living in Spain

Objectives Human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) antenatal screening is not mandatory in Spain. Surveys conducted decades ago reported HTLV-1 seroprevalence rates of 0.2% among foreign pregnant women in Spain. The migrant flow to Spain from HTLV-1 endemic regions in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa has increased during the last decade. Currently, 25% of pregnant women in Spain are foreigners. Methods From January 2021 to October 2023 a cross-sectional study was carried out in all consecutive pregnant women attended at eleven Spanish clinics. A commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was used for screening of serum HTLV-1/2 antibodies. Reactive samples were confirmed by immunoblot. Results A total of 9813 pregnant women with a median age of 34 years-old were examined. Native Spaniards were 6977 (76.5%). Of 2147 foreigners (23.5%), 903566 (9.9%) were Latin Americans, 416 (4.5%) North Africans, 293 (3.2%) from Romania, and 196 (2.1%) from sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 47 samples were EIA reactive but only five were confirmed as HTLV-1 positive using immunoblot. Infected women came from Paraguay, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Peru. All but one were primigravida, with ages ranging from 20 to 33 years-old. One was HIV-1 positive, and another was infected with Chlamydia trachomatis. Conclusion The overall seroprevalence for HTLV-1 among pregnant women in Spain is 0.05% but rises ten-fold (0.55%) among Latin Americans. This rate is higher than in surveys conducted decades ago. Our results support that anti-HTLV testing should be part of antenatal screening in Spain in pregnant women coming from Latin America, as it is already done with Chagas disease