A study in Germany found that dogs could detect new coronaviruses in the saliva of COVID-19 patients.
Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, Germany found that the detection dogs trained in the study could determine the difference between saliva samples from patients infected with COVID-19 and those who were negative for the disease.
“During the submission of 1,012 randomized samples, the dogs achieved an overall average detection rate of 94 percent,” the authors stated in the study.
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The randomized, double-blind controlled trial included eight detection dogs that were trained for one week to detect saliva or respiratory secretions from patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Sniffer dogs could differentiate between saliva samples from infected and uninfected individuals with a high degree of precision.
“One hundred and fifty-seven correct indications of positive rejection, 792 correct rejections of negative, 33 incorrect indications of negative or incorrect rejection from 30 positive sample submissions,” the study authors cited.
The researchers explained that during respiratory infections like SARS-CoV-2, certain types of compounds are produced and can cause what they describe as “specific aromatic footprints,” which can be identified by dogs trained to detect that smell.
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“Dogs dedicate a lot of mental capacity to interpret smells. They have more than 100 million sensory receptor sites in the nasal cavity compared to 6 million people, “according to VCA Animal Hospitals.” The area of the canine brain dedicated to odor analysis is approximately 40 times larger than the comparable part of the nasal cavity. human brain. In fact, it is estimated that dogs can smell 1,000 to 10,000 times better than people.
“Unlike humans, dogs have an additional scent tool that increases their ability to smell,” according to VCA Animal Hospitals. “The organ serves as a secondary olfactory system designed specifically for chemical communication.”
The study authors said these are preliminary findings and more research should be done to help develop more reliable detection methods for patients infected with COVID-19. In addition to using it as an alternative to laboratory testing, the researchers stated that this method could be used in public places such as sports events, mass gatherings, airports to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
