Walter Reed Evaluates Rapid HCV Test

Our country's largest and oldest laboratory in the US Army, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, recently picked OraQuick as the best rapid hepatitis C test for screening blood in the field. OraQuick is a test being developed by OraSure Technologies.

We probably take it for granted that we can go to any clinic or hospital and receive donated blood that is safe, free from blood-borne pathogens like hepatitis B and hepatitis C. However, access to such a supply can be a significant challenge for military medics and physicians treating our men and women in uniform under battlefield conditions.

Tens of thousands of soldiers have been injured since the Iraqi war began in 2003, and many of these injuries probably required access to a safe supply of blood. Under battlefield conditions, this supply sometimes comes from "walking blood banks," which are available soldiers who can donate. This is why a rapid test that can reliably screen blood is necessary. In addition to testing blood for HCV (which OraQuick can do three days faster than the available lab-based enzyme immunoassays), an added benefit is that this test will be able to identify infected individuals so that they can possibly begin treatment sooner.

Why is this important for folks not in the military? Well, a rapid HCV test is a tremendously powerful public health tool that can also be used in a civilian population. Imagine the many people who could easily find out if they have hepatitis C during a visit to a community screening program. In many ways, the first step to successful treatment is knowing that you have the disease before it progresses.

Right now OraQuick is still in the final stages of clinical studies and it's not yet approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, eventually this technology should become available. Certainly, the Walter Reed endorsement is a strong victory and a good sign. For more information about OraQuick, the company that's developing it and the Walter Reed evaluation, please read this press release.