Wayne State teams with Detroit workers in Hepatitis C screening initiative

Nearly one in every 50 Americans tests positive for Hepatitis C, but because they don’t know they carry the virus, they can’t be treated. Dr. Milton Mutchnick, a Wayne State University (WSU) liver specialist, likens the virus to the stealth fighter; neither can be detected until it is too late. Hepatitis C may destroy the liver silently and without symptoms. According to Dr. Mark Upfal, director of occupational and environmental medicine, individuals such as police, fire and emergency personnel working in urban areas may be more endangered because their jobs put them at higher risk for potential direct contact with blood or bodily fluids--the main way that the disease spreads.

In the first initiative of its kind in the United States, doctors at the Wayne State University School of Medicine are working with Detroit Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Medical Sections to provide free and confidential testing, which can lead to lifesaving early treatment before irreversible liver damage sets in.

"This is a win-win situation," said Dr. Paul Naylor, associate professor of internal medicine, and manager of the screening program. "Through this proactive approach, participants who may be infected win by being treated with newly available drugs, and researchers and physicians win by achieving a better understanding of urban problems and challenges."