Human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) infection was diagnosed in a Thai patient with chronic progressive myelopathy. The phylogenetic tree of the ltr sequencing of HTLV-1 indicated that the virus belongs to the transcontinental genotype of the cosmopolitan subtype A. This is the first case report of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy in Southeast Asia. Awareness of HTLV-1 and related condition should be encouraged in this region and routine screening should be applied to blood donors.
Keywords: Southeast Asia; Thailand; human T-lymphotropic virus-1; paraparesis; spinal cord diseases; tropical spastic.