Tropical spastic paraparesis
Tropical spastic paraparesis or HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM) is a disease that affects the spinal cord and nerves going to the legs. It is caused by infection by the HTLV-1 virus. The disease is sometimes called Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (TSP). Symptoms of the disease may include: leg weakness, back pain and urinary dysfunction. The symptoms are often similar to those of multiple sclerosis.