Importantly, the study did not include children under the age of 15, so further epidemiological research is required to gain a better understanding of transmission and prevalence rate in child populations. According to the authors, the results indicate that, "preventive measures to decrease spread and transmission of this human retrovirus are urgently warranted." Among their recommendations are nationwide sexual health programming, systematic HTLV-1 screening of potential blood donors, and screening and educational outreach among pregnant women to decrease risk of mother-child transmission.