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Juge AE, Hall NJ, Richeson JT, Cooke RF, Daigle CL. Dogs' ability to detect an inflammatory immune response in cattle via olfaction. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1393289. [PMID: 38655536 PMCID: PMC11036545 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1393289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Canine olfaction is a potential means for detection of respiratory disease in beef cattle. In a prior study, two dogs were trained to discriminate between nasal swabs from healthy cattle and cattle that developed Bovine Respiratory Disease. Dogs had some ability to identify samples from BRD-affected cattle, but results were ambiguous. The purpose of this study was to evaluate more dogs using better-controlled training and testing procedures. Methods Nasal and saliva swabs were collected from 96 cattle before and after administering a vaccine to induce an inflammatory immune response. Samples were stored at -80°C for up to 11 months before use, and samples from animals with an elevated body temperature at baseline were omitted. An automated olfactometer apparatus was constructed to improve blinding procedures and reduce opportunities for odor contamination. Four dogs were trained to distinguish between swabs from healthy and sickness-model cattle, including the two dogs from the previous study ("Runnels" and "Cheaps") and two inexperienced dogs ("Molokai" and "Amy"). During a seven-month training period, dogs were exposed to samples from 28 animals. Dogs were tested on 59 sets of unfamiliar samples. Results Performance varied among dogs (χ2 = 10.48, p = 0.02). Molokai's performance was above chance (0.73 ± 0.06, p = 0.0006), while Amy (0.44 ± 0.06, p = 0.43), Cheaps (0.53 ± 0.07, p = 0.79), and Runnels (0.56 ± 0.06, p = 0.43) did not respond correctly at a rate different from chance. Accuracy did not differ between nasal swabs (0.63 ± 0.08) and saliva swabs (0.53 ± 0.08, χ2 = 0.81, p = 0.37). Discussion The results of this study indicate that canine olfaction may be an effective means of detecting illness in beef cattle. However, individual dogs' aptitude for this detection task varies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiden E. Juge
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Nathaniel J. Hall
- Department of Animal Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - John T. Richeson
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX, United States
| | - Reinaldo F. Cooke
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Courtney L. Daigle
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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Ramos MT, Chang G, Wilson C, Gilbertie J, Krieg J, Parvizi J, Chen AF, Otto CM, Schaer TP. Dogs can detect an odor profile associated with Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in cultures and biological samples. FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY 2024; 5:1275397. [PMID: 38414670 PMCID: PMC10896932 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2024.1275397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The study investigated the utilization of odor detection dogs to identify the odor profile of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) biofilms in pure in vitro samples and in in vivo biosamples from animals and humans with S. aureus periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Biofilms form when bacterial communities aggregate on orthopedic implants leading to recalcitrant infections that are difficult to treat. Identifying PJI biofilm infections is challenging, and traditional microbiological cultures may yield negative results even in the presence of clinical signs. Methods Dogs were trained on pure in vitro S. aureus biofilms and tested on lacrimal fluid samples from an in vivo animal model (rabbits) and human patients with confirmed S. aureus PJI. Results The results demonstrated that dogs achieved a high degree of sensitivity and specificity in detecting the odor profile associated with S. aureus biofilms in rabbit samples. Preliminary results suggest that dogs can recognize S. aureus volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in human lacrimal fluid samples. Discussion Training odor detection dogs on in vitro S. aureus, may provide an alternative to obtaining clinical samples for training and mitigates biosecurity hazards. The findings hold promise for culture-independent diagnostics, enabling early disease detection, and improved antimicrobial stewardship. In conclusion, this research demonstrates that dogs trained on in vitro S. aureus samples can identify the consistent VOC profile of PJI S. aureus biofilm infections. The study opens avenues for further investigations into a retained VOC profile of S. aureus biofilm infection. These advancements could revolutionize infectious disease diagnosis and treatment, leading to better patient outcomes and addressing the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan T Ramos
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Gerard Chang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, United States
| | - Clara Wilson
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jessica Gilbertie
- Center for One Health Research Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - James Krieg
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Javad Parvizi
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Antonia F Chen
- Department of Orthopaedics, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Cynthia M Otto
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Thomas P Schaer
- Department of Clinical Studies New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA, United States
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Callewaert C, Pezavant M, Vandaele R, Meeus B, Vankrunkelsven E, Van Goethem P, Plumacker A, Misset B, Darcis G, Piret S, De Vleeschouwer L, Staelens F, Van Varenbergh K, Tombeur S, Ottevaere A, Montag I, Vandecandelaere P, Jonckheere S, Vandekerckhove L, Tobback E, Wieers G, Marot JC, Anseeuw K, D’Hoore L, Tuyls S, De Tavernier B, Catteeuw J, Lotfi A, Melnik A, Aksenov A, Grandjean D, Stevens M, Gasthuys F, Guyot H. Sniffing out safety: canine detection and identification of SARS-CoV-2 infection from armpit sweat. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1185779. [PMID: 37822474 PMCID: PMC10563588 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1185779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Detection dogs were trained to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection based on armpit sweat odor. Sweat samples were collected using cotton pads under the armpits of negative and positive human patients, confirmed by qPCR, for periods of 15-30 min. Multiple hospitals and organizations throughout Belgium participated in this study. The sweat samples were stored at -20°C prior to being used for training purposes. Six dogs were trained under controlled atmosphere conditions for 2-3 months. After training, a 7-day validation period was conducted to assess the dogs' performances. The detection dogs exhibited an overall sensitivity of 81%, specificity of 98%, and an accuracy of 95%. After validation, training continued for 3 months, during which the dogs' performances remained the same. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed a unique sweat scent associated with SARS-CoV-2 positive sweat samples. This scent consisted of a wide variety of volatiles, including breakdown compounds of antiviral fatty acids, skin proteins and neurotransmitters/hormones. An acceptability survey conducted in Belgium demonstrated an overall high acceptability and enthusiasm toward the use of detection dogs for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Compared to qPCR and previous canine studies, the detection dogs have good performances in detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans, using frozen sweat samples from the armpits. As a result, they can be used as an accurate pre-screening tool in various field settings alongside the PCR test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Callewaert
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Maria Pezavant
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Clinique Vétérinaire Universitaire (CVU), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Benoit Misset
- CHU-Sart-Tilman, Intensive Care Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Gilles Darcis
- CHU-Sart-Tilman, Infectious Diseases – Internal Medicine, Public Health Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Sonia Piret
- CHU-Bruyères, Intensive Care Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Stijn Jonckheere
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Jan Yperman Hospital, Ypres, Belgium
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Els Tobback
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gregoire Wieers
- General Internal Medicine, Clinique Saint-Pierre Ottignies, Ottignies, Belgium
- Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (Narilis) and Department of Medicine, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Kurt Anseeuw
- Department of Emergency Medicine, ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Leen D’Hoore
- Belgian Defence, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Emergency Medicine, ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Tuyls
- Respiratory Medicine, GasthuisZusters (GZA) Hospital Group, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Brecht De Tavernier
- Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care, GasthuisZusters (GZA) Hospital Group, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Ali Lotfi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Alexey Melnik
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Alexander Aksenov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Dominique Grandjean
- Nosaïs Program, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort (Alfort School of Veterinary Medicine), University Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | | | - Frank Gasthuys
- Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Orthopedics of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Hugues Guyot
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Clinique Vétérinaire Universitaire (CVU), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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Meller S, Caraguel C, Twele F, Charalambous M, Schoneberg C, Chaber AL, Desquilbet L, Grandjean D, Mardones FO, Kreienbrock L, de la Rocque S, Volk HA. Canine olfactory detection of SARS-CoV-2-infected humans-a systematic review. Ann Epidemiol 2023; 85:68-85. [PMID: 37209927 PMCID: PMC10195768 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To complement conventional testing methods for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 infections, dogs' olfactory capability for true real-time detection has been investigated worldwide. Diseases produce specific scents in affected individuals via volatile organic compounds. This systematic review evaluates the current evidence for canine olfaction as a reliable coronavirus disease 2019 screening tool. METHODS Two independent study quality assessment tools were used: the QUADAS-2 tool for the evaluation of laboratory tests' diagnostic accuracy, designed for systematic reviews, and a general evaluation tool for canine detection studies, adapted to medical detection. Various study design, sample, dog, and olfactory training features were considered as potential confounding factors. RESULTS Twenty-seven studies from 15 countries were evaluated. Respectively, four and six studies had a low risk of bias and high quality: the four QUADAS-2 nonbiased studies resulted in ranges of 81%-97% sensitivity and 91%-100% specificity. The six high-quality studies, according to the general evaluation system, revealed ranges of 82%-97% sensitivity and 83%-100% specificity. The other studies contained high bias risks and applicability and/or quality concerns. CONCLUSIONS Standardization and certification procedures as used for canine explosives detection are needed for medical detection dogs for the optimal and structured usage of their undoubtful potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Meller
- Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Charles Caraguel
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; OIE Diagnostic Test Validation Science in the Asia-Pacific Region, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Friederike Twele
- Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Marios Charalambous
- Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Clara Schoneberg
- Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training for Health in the Human-Animal-Environment Interface, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anne-Lise Chaber
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Loïc Desquilbet
- École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, IMRB, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Dominique Grandjean
- École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Fernando O Mardones
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Lothar Kreienbrock
- Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training for Health in the Human-Animal-Environment Interface, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Holger A Volk
- Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
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Schulz E, Woollam M, Grocki P, Davis MD, Agarwal M. Methods to Detect Volatile Organic Compounds for Breath Biopsy Using Solid-Phase Microextraction and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28114533. [PMID: 37299010 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28114533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are byproducts from metabolic pathways that can be detected in exhaled breath and have been reported as biomarkers for different diseases. The gold standard for analysis is gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which can be coupled with various sampling methods. The current study aims to develop and compare different methods for sampling and preconcentrating VOCs using solid-phase microextraction (SPME). An in-house sampling method, direct-breath SPME (DB-SPME), was developed to directly extract VOCs from breath using a SPME fiber. The method was optimized by exploring different SPME types, the overall exhalation volume, and breath fractionation. DB-SPME was quantitatively compared to two alternative methods involving the collection of breath in a Tedlar bag. In one method, VOCs were directly extracted from the Tedlar bag (Tedlar-SPME) and in the other, the VOCs were cryothermally transferred from the Tedlar bag to a headspace vial (cryotransfer). The methods were verified and quantitatively compared using breath samples (n = 15 for each method respectively) analyzed by GC-MS quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) for compounds including but not limited to acetone, isoprene, toluene, limonene, and pinene. The cryotransfer method was the most sensitive, demonstrating the strongest signal for the majority of the VOCs detected in the exhaled breath samples. However, VOCs with low molecular weights, including acetone and isoprene, were detected with the highest sensitivity using the Tedlar-SPME. On the other hand, the DB-SPME was less sensitive, although it was rapid and had the lowest background GC-MS signal. Overall, the three breath-sampling methods can detect a wide variety of VOCs in breath. The cryotransfer method may be optimal when collecting a large number of samples using Tedlar bags, as it allows the long-term storage of VOCs at low temperatures (-80 °C), while Tedlar-SPME may be more effective when targeting relatively small VOCs. The DB-SPME method may be the most efficient when more immediate analyses and results are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eray Schulz
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Mark Woollam
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Paul Grocki
- Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Michael D Davis
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Mangilal Agarwal
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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Martin C, Malević M, Diederich C, Verheggen F. Copycatting the smell of death: Deciphering the role of cadaveric scent components used by detection dogs to locate human remains. J Forensic Sci 2023. [PMID: 37183668 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Human remains detection dogs (HRDD) are commonly used by law enforcement agencies to search for cadavers. Biological material is typically used as a training stimulus, also called aids, to train dogs to recognize the smell of cadavers. While HRDD training approaches have received extensive attention, information remains limited on the olfactory cues used to train them. Here, we aimed to decipher the chemical basis of detection dog olfaction. Five specific objectives were explored to precise whether the composition or the concentration of the training aids drives the HRDDs responses. We recorded the behavioral responses of four HRDDs exposed to different cadaveric-like smells. We found that HRDDs recognized a simplified synthetic aid composed of cadaveric compounds. The lowest concentration at which HRDDs continued to perceive the cadaveric smell was determined. HRDDs were not impacted by slight modifications to the chemical composition of a blend of odors that they have been trained with. HRDDs associated sulfur and nitrogen compounds as human cadaver. Our findings highlight a lack of specificity of HRDDs to cadaveric compounds, which could lead to error of detection. Moreover, all dogs did not positively respond to the same blends, despite being trained with the same aids and procedure. However, we confirmed that dogs could be trained with a simplified blend of molecules. The chemical composition of a training aid has, therefore, high consequences on the performance of the trained animal, and this conclusion opens additional questions regarding olfaction-based detection animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Martin
- Chemical and Behavioral Ecology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, TERRA, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Marta Malević
- Chemical and Behavioral Ecology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, TERRA, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Claire Diederich
- Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - François Verheggen
- Chemical and Behavioral Ecology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, TERRA, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
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Soggiu F, Sabbatinelli J, Giuliani A, Benedetti R, Marchegiani A, Sgarangella F, Tibaldi A, Corsi D, Procopio AD, Calgaro S, Olivieri F, Spaterna A, Zampieri R, Rippo MR. Sensitivity and specificity of in vivo COVID-19 screening by detection dogs: Results of the C19-Screendog multicenter study. Heliyon 2023; 9:e15640. [PMID: 37251897 PMCID: PMC10209336 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Trained dogs can recognize the volatile organic compounds contained in biological samples of patients with COVID-19 infection. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of in vivo SARS-CoV-2 screening by trained dogs. We recruited five dog-handler dyads. In the operant conditioning phase, the dogs were taught to distinguish between positive and negative sweat samples collected from volunteers' underarms in polymeric tubes. The conditioning was validated by tests involving 16 positive and 48 negative samples held or worn in such a way that the samples were invisible to the dog and handler. In the screening phase the dogs were led by their handlers to a drive-through facility for in vivo screening of volunteers who had just received a nasopharyngeal swab from nursing staff. Each volunteer who had already swabbed was subsequently tested by two dogs, whose responses were recorded as positive, negative, or inconclusive. The dogs' behavior was constantly monitored for attentiveness and wellbeing. All the dogs passed the conditioning phase, their responses showing a sensitivity of 83-100% and a specificity of 94-100%. The in vivo screening phase involved 1251 subjects, of whom 205 had a COVID-19 positive swab and two dogs per each subject to be screened. Screening sensitivity and specificity were respectively 91.6-97.6% and 96.3-100% when only one dog was involved, whereas combined screening by two dogs provided a higher sensitivity. Dog wellbeing was also analyzed: monitoring of stress and fatigue suggested that the screening activity did not adversely impact the dogs' wellbeing. This work, by screening a large number of subjects, strengthen recent findings that trained dogs can discriminate between COVID-19 infected and healthy human subjects and introduce two novel research aspects: i) assessement of signs of fatigue and stress in dogs during training and testing, and ii) combining screening by two dogs to improve detection sensitivity and specificity. Using some precautions to reduce the risk of infection and spillover, in vivo COVID-19 screening by a dog-handler dyad can be suitable to quickly screen large numbers of people: it is rapid, non-invasive and economical, since it does not involve actual sampling, lab resources or waste management, and is suitable to screen large numbers of people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Soggiu
- Dipartimento di Prevenzione, ATS Sardegna, Italy
- Progetto Serena APS, Cinto Caomaggiore, Italy
| | - Jacopo Sabbatinelli
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, DISCLIMO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Angelica Giuliani
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, DISCLIMO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Marchegiani
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Matelica, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Antonio Domenico Procopio
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, DISCLIMO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
- Clinical Laboratory and Molecular Diagnostic, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy
| | | | - Fabiola Olivieri
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, DISCLIMO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
- Clinical Laboratory and Molecular Diagnostic, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy
| | - Andrea Spaterna
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Matelica, Italy
| | | | - Maria Rita Rippo
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, DISCLIMO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
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Interactions between Humans and Dogs during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Recent Updates and Future Perspectives. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030524. [PMID: 36766413 PMCID: PMC9913536 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is one of the deadliest epidemics. This pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but the role of dogs in spreading the disease in human society is poorly understood. This review sheds light on the limited susceptibility of dogs to COVID-19 infections which is likely attributed to the relatively low levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in the respiratory tract and the phylogenetic distance of ACE2 in dogs from the human ACE2 receptor. The low levels of ACE2 affect the binding affinity between spike and ACE2 proteins resulting in it being uncommon for dogs to spread the disease. To demonstrate the role of dogs in spreading COVID-19, we reviewed the epidemiological studies and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in dogs. Additionally, we discussed the use of detection dogs as a rapid and reliable method for effectively discriminating between SARS-CoV-2 infected and non-infected individuals using different types of samples (secretions, saliva, and sweat). We considered the available information on COVID-19 in the human-dog interfaces involving the possibility of transmission of COVID-19 to dogs by infected individuals and vice versa, the human-dog behavior changes, and the importance of preventive measures because the risk of transmission by domestic dogs remains a concern.
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9
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Bauër P, Leemans M, Audureau E, Gilbert C, Armal C, Fromantin I. Remote Medical Scent Detection of Cancer and Infectious Diseases With Dogs and Rats: A Systematic Review. Integr Cancer Ther 2022; 21:15347354221140516. [PMID: 36541180 PMCID: PMC9791295 DOI: 10.1177/15347354221140516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Remote medical scent detection of cancer and infectious diseases with dogs and rats has been an increasing field of research these last 20 years. If validated, the possibility of implementing such a technique in the clinic raises many hopes. This systematic review was performed to determine the evidence and performance of such methods and assess their potential relevance in the clinic. METHODS Pubmed and Web of Science databases were independently searched based on PRISMA standards between 01/01/2000 and 01/05/2021. We included studies aiming at detecting cancers and infectious diseases affecting humans with dogs or rats. We excluded studies using other animals, studies aiming to detect agricultural diseases, diseases affecting animals, and others such as diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. Only original articles were included. Data about patients' selection, samples, animal characteristics, animal training, testing configurations, and performances were recorded. RESULTS A total of 62 studies were included. Sensitivity and specificity varied a lot among studies: While some publications report low sensitivities of 0.17 and specificities around 0.29, others achieve rates of 1 sensitivity and specificity. Only 6 studies were evaluated in a double-blind screening-like situation. In general, the risk of performance bias was high in most evaluated studies, and the quality of the evidence found was low. CONCLUSIONS Medical detection using animals' sense of smell lacks evidence and performances so far to be applied in the clinic. What odors the animals detect is not well understood. Further research should be conducted, focusing on patient selection, samples (choice of materials, standardization), and testing conditions. Interpolations of such results to free running detection (direct contact with humans) should be taken with extreme caution. Considering this synthesis, we discuss the challenges and highlight the excellent odor detection threshold exhibited by animals which represents a potential opportunity to develop an accessible and non-invasive method for disease detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Bauër
- Institut Curie, Paris, France,Univ Paris Est Creteil, INSERM, IMRB, Team CEpiA
| | - Michelle Leemans
- Univ Paris Est Creteil, INSERM, IMRB, Team CEpiA,Michelle Leemans, Univ Paris Est Creteil, INSERM, IMRB, Team CEpiA, 61 Av. du Général de Gaulle, 94000 Créteil, F-94010 Créteil, France.
| | | | - Caroline Gilbert
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Brunoy, France,Ecole nationale vétérinaire d’Alfort, Maisons-Alfort cedex, France
| | | | - Isabelle Fromantin
- Institut Curie, Paris, France,Univ Paris Est Creteil, INSERM, IMRB, Team CEpiA
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Meller S, Al Khatri MSA, Alhammadi HK, Álvarez G, Alvergnat G, Alves LC, Callewaert C, Caraguel CGB, Carancci P, Chaber AL, Charalambous M, Desquilbet L, Ebbers H, Ebbers J, Grandjean D, Guest C, Guyot H, Hielm-Björkman A, Hopkins A, Kreienbrock L, Logan JG, Lorenzo H, Maia RDCC, Mancilla-Tapia JM, Mardones FO, Mutesa L, Nsanzimana S, Otto CM, Salgado-Caxito M, de los Santos F, da Silva JES, Schalke E, Schoneberg C, Soares AF, Twele F, Vidal-Martínez VM, Zapata A, Zimin-Veselkoff N, Volk HA. Expert considerations and consensus for using dogs to detect human SARS-CoV-2-infections. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1015620. [PMID: 36569156 PMCID: PMC9773891 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1015620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Meller
- Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | | | - Hamad Khatir Alhammadi
- International Operations Department, Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Guadalupe Álvarez
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillaume Alvergnat
- International Operations Department, Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Lêucio Câmara Alves
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Chris Callewaert
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Charles G. B. Caraguel
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia
| | - Paula Carancci
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Anne-Lise Chaber
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia
| | - Marios Charalambous
- Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Loïc Desquilbet
- École Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, IMRB, Université Paris Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | | | | | - Dominique Grandjean
- École Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Claire Guest
- Medical Detection Dogs, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Hugues Guyot
- Clinical Department of Production Animals, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Anna Hielm-Björkman
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Amy Hopkins
- Medical Detection Dogs, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Lothar Kreienbrock
- Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - James G. Logan
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Arctech Innovation, The Cube, Dagenham, United Kingdom
| | - Hector Lorenzo
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Fernando O. Mardones
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal and Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Leon Mutesa
- Center for Human Genetics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Rwanda National Joint Task Force COVID-19, Kigali, Rwanda
| | | | - Cynthia M. Otto
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Marília Salgado-Caxito
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal and Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | | | - Esther Schalke
- Bundeswehr Medical Service Headquarters, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Clara Schoneberg
- Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Anísio Francisco Soares
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Friederike Twele
- Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Victor Manuel Vidal-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Parasitología y Patología Acuática, Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Ariel Zapata
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Natalia Zimin-Veselkoff
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal and Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Holger A. Volk
- Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience Hannover, Hanover, Germany
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11
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Grady SL, Sebeck NM, Theodore M, Meidenbauer KL. Routine Decontamination of Surfaces Relevant to Working Dogs: Neutralization of Superficial Coronavirus Contamination. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12141823. [PMID: 35883369 PMCID: PMC9312250 DOI: 10.3390/ani12141823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the increased deployment of working dogs to settings with pathogenic biological agents, a safe, effective, and logistically feasible surface decontamination protocol is essential to protect both the animals and their human handlers. Our group previously found that superficial contamination on surfaces relevant to the working dog community, including leashes and toys, could be significantly reduced using a standardized wiping protocol with various cleansing products. To expand upon this work, we analyzed the ability of this protocol to decontaminate surface-deposited bovine coronavirus, which was used as a BSL2 surrogate for SARS-CoV-2. Unsurprisingly, the physical characteristics of a given surface, including porosity and texture, had a significant effect on the ability to recover viable virus remaining on the surface post treatment. After correcting for these differences, however, wiping with 70% isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and 0.5% chlorhexidine performed best, reducing viral titers by >3 log on plastic bumper toys and nylon collars, and by >2 log on rubber toys and tennis balls. Leather leashes and Velcro proved more difficult to decontaminate, but both still showed significant loss of viral contamination following wiping with IPA or chlorhexidine. This work (i) validates the utility of a simple protocol for the neutralization of viruses on several surfaces, (ii) identifies materials that are more difficult to decontaminate, which should, thus, be considered for removal from field use, and (iii) highlights the need for further development of protocols testing porous or textured surfaces.
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12
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Juge AE, Hall NJ, Richeson JT, Daigle CL. Using Canine Olfaction to Detect Bovine Respiratory Disease: A Pilot Study. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:902151. [PMID: 35847637 PMCID: PMC9284318 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.902151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in feedlot cattle and is a major welfare and economic concern. Identification of BRD-affected cattle using clinical illness scores is problematic, and speed and cost constraints limit the feasibility of many diagnostic approaches. Dogs can rapidly identify humans and animals affected by a variety of diseases based on scent. Canines' olfactory systems can distinguish between patterns of volatile organic compounds produced by diseased and healthy tissue. In this pilot study, two dogs (“Runnels” and “Cheaps”) were trained for 7 months to discriminate between nasal swabs from cattle that developed signs of BRD within 20 days of feedlot arrival and swabs from cattle that did not develop BRD signs within 3 months at the feedlot. Nasal swabs were collected during cattle processing upon arrival to the feedlot and were stored at −80°C. Dogs were presented with sets of one positive and two negative samples and were trained using positive reinforcement to hold their noses over the positive sample. The dogs performed moderately well in the final stage of training, with accuracy for Runnels of 0.817 and Cheaps of 0.647, both greater than the 0.333 expected by chance. During a double-blind detection test, dogs evaluated 123 unique and unfamiliar samples that were presented as 41 sets (3 samples per set), with both the dog handler and data recorder blinded to the positive sample location. Each dog was tested twice on each set of samples. Detection test accuracy was slightly better than chance for Cheaps at 0.451 (95% CI: 0.344–0.559) and was no better than chance for Runnels at 0.390 (95% CI: 0.285–0.496. Overall accuracy was 0.421 (95% CI: 0.345–0.496). When dogs' consensus response on each sample set was considered, accuracy was 0.537 (95% CI: 0.384–0.689). Detection accuracy also varied by sample lot. While dogs showed some ability to discriminate between BRD-affected and healthy cattle using nasal swabs, the complexity of this task suggests that more testing is needed before determining whether dogs could be effective as a screening method for BRD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiden E. Juge
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Nathaniel J. Hall
- Department of Animal Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - John T. Richeson
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX, United States
| | - Courtney L. Daigle
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: Courtney L. Daigle
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13
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Maurer M, Seto T, Guest C, Somal A, Julian C. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 by Canine Olfaction: A Pilot Study. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022; 9:ofac226. [PMID: 35818366 PMCID: PMC9129167 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases continue to surge worldwide and new variants emerge, additional accurate, rapid, and noninvasive screening methods to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are needed. The number of COVID-19 cases reported globally is >455 million, and deaths have surpassed 6 million. Current diagnostic methods are expensive, invasive, and produce delayed results. While COVID-19 vaccinations are proven to help slow the spread of infection and prevent serious illness, they are not equitably available worldwide. Almost 40% of the world’s population remains unvaccinated. Evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 virus–associated volatile organic compounds found in the breath, urine, and sweat of infected individuals can be detected by canine olfaction. Medical detection dogs may be a feasible, accurate, and affordable SARS-CoV-2 screening method. Methods In this double-blinded, case–control, validation study, we obtained sweat samples from inpatients and outpatients tested for SARS-CoV-2 by a polymerase chain reaction test. Medical detection dogs were trained to distinguish SARS-CoV-2-positive samples from SARS-CoV-2-negative samples using reward-based reinforcement. Results Samples were obtained from 584 individuals (6–97 years of age; 24% positive SARS-CoV-2 samples and 76% negative SARS-CoV-2 samples). In the testing phase, all dogs performed with high accuracy in detecting SARS-CoV-2. The overall diagnostic sensitivity was 98%, and specificity was 92%. In a follow-up phase, 1 dog screened 153 patients for SARS-CoV-2 in a hospital setting with 96% diagnostic sensitivity and 100% specificity. Conclusions Canine olfaction is an accurate and feasible method for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, including asymptomatic and presymptomatic infected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Maurer
- Assistance Dogs of Hawaii Executive Director Contact: 808-250-5799 PO Box 1803, Makawao, Hawaii, 96768, United States of America
| | - Todd Seto
- The Queen’s Medical Center Director, Academic Affairs and Research Contact: 808-691-5439 1301 Punchbowl St., Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813, United States of America
| | - Claire Guest
- Medical Detection Dogs UK
- Great Horwood, Milton Keynes, UK
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14
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Singletary M, Krichbaum S, Passler T, Lazarowski L, Fischer T, Silvis S, Waggoner LP, Walz P, Angle C. A Novel Method for Training the Interdiction of Restricted and Hazardous Biological Materials by Detection Dogs. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:847620. [PMID: 35492309 PMCID: PMC9042221 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.847620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The interdiction of restricted and hazardous biological agents presents challenges for any detection method due to the inherent complexity of sample type and accessibility. Detection capabilities for this category of agents are limited and restricted in their mobility, adaptability and efficiency. The potential for identifying biological agents through a volatile organic compound (VOC) signature presents an opportunity to use detection dogs in a real-time mobile capacity for surveillance and screening strategies. However, the safe handling and access to the materials needed for training detection dogs on restricted or hazardous biological agents prevents its broader application in this field. This study evaluated the use of a polymer-based training aid in a viral detection model using bovine viral diarrhea virus mimicking biosafety level 3+ agent conditions. After the biological agent-based odor was absorbed into the polymer, the aid was rendered safe for handling through a rigorous sterilization process. The viral culture-based training aid was then used to train a cohort of detection dogs (n = 6) to discriminate agent-based target odor in culture from relevant distractor odors including non-target biological agent-based odors. Following culture-based training, dogs were tested for generalization to aids with infected animal sample-based odors across five sample types (fecal, blood, nasal, saliva, and urine). Within the context of the polymer-based training aid system, dogs were successfully trained to detect and discriminate a representative biological viral agent-based odor from distractor odors with a 97.22% (±2.78) sensitivity and 97.11% (±1.94) specificity. Generalization from the agent-based odor to sample-based odors ranged from 65.40% (±8.98) to 91.90 % (±6.15) sensitivity and 88.61% (±1.46) to 96.00% (±0.89) specificity across the sample types. The restrictive nature for mimicking the access and handling of a BSL 3+ agent presented challenges that required a strict study design uncommon to standard detection dog training and odor presentation. This study demonstrates the need to further evaluate the utility and challenges of training detection dogs to alert to biological samples using safe and manageable training aids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Singletary
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Sarah Krichbaum
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Thomas Passler
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Lucia Lazarowski
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Terrence Fischer
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Scott Silvis
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - L Paul Waggoner
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Paul Walz
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Craig Angle
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
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15
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Maughan MN, Best EM, Gadberry JD, Sharpes CE, Evans KL, Chue CC, Nolan PL, Buckley PE. The Use and Potential of Biomedical Detection Dogs During a Disease Outbreak. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:848090. [PMID: 35445042 PMCID: PMC9014822 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.848090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomedical detection dogs offer incredible advantages during disease outbreaks that are presently unmatched by current technologies, however, dogs still face hurdles of implementation due to lack of inter-governmental cooperation and acceptance by the public health community. Here, we refine the definition of a biomedical detection dog, discuss the potential applications, capabilities, and limitations of biomedical detection dogs in disease outbreak scenarios, and the safety measures that must be considered before and during deployment. Finally, we provide recommendations on how to address and overcome the barriers to acceptance of biomedical detection dogs through a dedicated research and development investment in olfactory sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric M. Best
- Penn State Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | | | | | - Kelley L. Evans
- Biochemistry Branch, U.S. Army DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, United States
| | - Calvin C. Chue
- Biochemistry Branch, U.S. Army DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, United States
| | | | - Patricia E. Buckley
- Biochemistry Branch, U.S. Army DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, United States
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16
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ten Hagen NA, Twele F, Meller S, Jendrny P, Schulz C, von Köckritz-Blickwede M, Osterhaus A, Ebbers H, Pink I, Welte T, Manns MP, Illig T, Fathi A, Addo MM, Nitsche A, Puyskens A, Michel J, Krause E, Ehmann R, von Brunn A, Ernst C, Zwirglmaier K, Wölfel R, Nau A, Philipp E, Engels M, Schalke E, Volk HA. Discrimination of SARS-CoV-2 Infections From Other Viral Respiratory Infections by Scent Detection Dogs. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:749588. [PMID: 34869443 PMCID: PMC8636992 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.749588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Testing of possibly infected individuals remains cornerstone of containing the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Detection dogs could contribute to mass screening. Previous research demonstrated canines' ability to detect SARS-CoV-2-infections but has not investigated if dogs can differentiate between COVID-19 and other virus infections. Methods: Twelve dogs were trained to detect SARS-CoV-2 positive samples. Three test scenarios were performed to evaluate their ability to discriminate SARS-CoV-2-infections from viral infections of a different aetiology. Naso- and oropharyngeal swab samples from individuals and samples from cell culture both infected with one of 15 viruses that may cause COVID-19-like symptoms were presented as distractors in a randomised, double-blind study. Dogs were either trained with SARS-CoV-2 positive saliva samples (test scenario I and II) or with supernatant from cell cultures (test scenario III). Results: When using swab samples from individuals infected with viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 as distractors (test scenario I), dogs detected swab samples from SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals with a mean diagnostic sensitivity of 73.8% (95% CI: 66.0-81.7%) and a specificity of 95.1% (95% CI: 92.6-97.7%). In test scenario II and III cell culture supernatant from cells infected with SARS-CoV-2, cells infected with other coronaviruses and non-infected cells were presented. Dogs achieved mean diagnostic sensitivities of 61.2% (95% CI: 50.7-71.6%, test scenario II) and 75.8% (95% CI: 53.0-98.5%, test scenario III), respectively. The diagnostic specificities were 90.9% (95% CI: 87.3-94.6%, test scenario II) and 90.2% (95% CI: 81.1-99.4%, test scenario III), respectively. Conclusion: In all three test scenarios the mean specificities were above 90% which indicates that dogs can distinguish SARS-CoV-2-infections from other viral infections. However, compared to earlier studies our scent dogs achieved lower diagnostic sensitivities. To deploy COVID-19 detection dogs as a reliable screening method it is therefore mandatory to include a variety of samples from different viral respiratory tract infections in dog training to ensure a successful discrimination process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nele Alexandra ten Hagen
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Friederike Twele
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sebastian Meller
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Paula Jendrny
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Claudia Schulz
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Ab Osterhaus
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Hans Ebbers
- KynoScience Unternehmergesellschaft, Hörstel, Germany
| | - Isabell Pink
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Tobias Welte
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Illig
- Hannover Unified Biobank, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anahita Fathi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical-Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department for Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Hamburg-Lübeck- Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marylyn Martina Addo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical-Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department for Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Hamburg-Lübeck- Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Nitsche
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS) 1, Highly Pathogenic Viruses, World Health Organisation Reference Laboratory for SARS-CoV-2 and World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Emerging Infections and Biological Threats, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Puyskens
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS) 1, Highly Pathogenic Viruses, World Health Organisation Reference Laboratory for SARS-CoV-2 and World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Emerging Infections and Biological Threats, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Janine Michel
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS) 1, Highly Pathogenic Viruses, World Health Organisation Reference Laboratory for SARS-CoV-2 and World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Emerging Infections and Biological Threats, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eva Krause
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS) 1, Highly Pathogenic Viruses, World Health Organisation Reference Laboratory for SARS-CoV-2 and World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Emerging Infections and Biological Threats, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rosina Ehmann
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Albrecht von Brunn
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute, Virology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Roman Wölfel
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexandra Nau
- Bundeswehr Medical Service Headquarters, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Eva Philipp
- Military Medical Center, Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany
| | - Michael Engels
- Bundeswehr School of Dog Handling, Gräfin-Maltzan-Kaserne, Ulmen, Germany
| | - Esther Schalke
- Bundeswehr School of Dog Handling, Gräfin-Maltzan-Kaserne, Ulmen, Germany
| | - Holger Andreas Volk
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
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17
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Maia RDCC, Alves LC, da Silva JES, Czyba FR, Pereira JA, Soistier V, Julien CL, Grandjean D, Soares AF. Canine Olfactory Detection of SARS-COV2-Infected Patients: A One Health Approach. Front Public Health 2021; 9:647903. [PMID: 34746070 PMCID: PMC8570299 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.647903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study is to apply the canine olfactory sensitivity to detect COVID-19-positive axillary sweat samples as a One Health approach in Latin America. One hundred volunteers with COVID-like symptoms were invited to participate, and both axillary sweat samples for dog detection and nasopharynx/oropharynx swabs for qPCR were collected. Two dogs, previously trained, detected 97.4% of the samples positive for COVID-19, including a false-negative qPCR-test, and the positive predictive value was 100% and the negative predictive value was 98.2%. Therefore, we can conclude that canine olfactory sensitivity can detect a person infected with COVID-19 through axillary sweat successfully and could be used as an alternative to screen them without invasive testing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leucio Câmara Alves
- Veterinary Medicine Department, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Vincent Soistier
- Amarante do Brasil, Avenida Erasmo Braga, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Anísio Francisco Soares
- Animal Morphology and Physiology Department, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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18
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Jendrny P, Twele F, Meller S, Osterhaus ADME, Schalke E, Volk HA. Canine olfactory detection and its relevance to medical detection. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:838. [PMID: 34412582 PMCID: PMC8375464 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06523-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The extraordinary olfactory sense of canines combined with the possibility to learn by operant conditioning enables dogs for their use in medical detection in a wide range of applications. Research on the ability of medical detection dogs for the identification of individuals with infectious or non-infectious diseases has been promising, but compared to the well-established and-accepted use of sniffer dogs by the police, army and customs for substances such as money, explosives or drugs, the deployment of medical detection dogs is still in its infancy. There are several factors to be considered for standardisation prior to deployment of canine scent detection dogs. Individual odours in disease consist of different volatile organic molecules that differ in magnitude, volatility and concentration. Olfaction can be influenced by various parameters like genetics, environmental conditions, age, hydration, nutrition, microbiome, conditioning, training, management factors, diseases and pharmaceuticals. This review discusses current knowledge on the function and importance of canines' olfaction and evaluates its limitations and the potential role of the dog as a biomedical detector for infectious and non-infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Jendrny
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Friederike Twele
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sebastian Meller
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Esther Schalke
- Bundeswehr School of Dog Handling, Gräfin-Maltzan-Kaserne, Hochstraße, 56766, Ulmen, Germany
| | - Holger Andreas Volk
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559, Hannover, Germany.
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19
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Lippi G, Heaney LM. The "olfactory fingerprint": can diagnostics be improved by combining canine and digital noses? Clin Chem Lab Med 2021; 58:958-967. [PMID: 31990659 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2019-1269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A sniffer (detecting) dog is conventionally defined as an animal trained to use its olfactory perceptions for detecting a vast array of substances, mostly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including those exceptionally or exclusively generated in humans bearing specific pathologies. Such an extraordinary sniffing performance translates into the capability of detecting compounds close to the femtomolar level, with performance comparable to that of current mass spectrometry-based laboratory applications. Not only can dogs accurately detect "abnormal volatilomes" reflecting something wrong happening to their owners, but they can also perceive visual, vocal and behavioral signals, which altogether would contribute to raise their alertness. Although it seems reasonable to conclude that sniffer dogs could never be considered absolutely "diagnostic" for a given disorder, several lines of evidence attest that they may serve as efficient screening aids for many pathological conditions affecting their human companions. Favorable results have been obtained in trials on cancers, diabetes, seizures, narcolepsy and migraine, whilst interesting evidence is also emerging on the capability of early and accurately identifying patients with infectious diseases. This would lead the way to proposing an "olfactory fingerprint" loop, where evidence that dogs can identify the presence of human pathologies provides implicit proof of the existence of disease-specific volatilomes, which can be studied for developing laboratory techniques. Contextually, the evidence that specific pathologies are associated with abnormal VOC generation may serve as reliable basis for training dogs to detect these compounds, even (or especially) in patients at an asymptomatic phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Lippi
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, University Hospital of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro, 10, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Liam M Heaney
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
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20
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Angeletti S, Travaglino F, Spoto S, Pascarella MC, Mansi G, De Cesaris M, Sartea S, Giovanetti M, Fogolari M, Plescia D, Macera M, Incalzi RA, Ciccozzi M. COVID-19 sniffer dog experimental training: Which protocol and which implications for reliable sidentification? J Med Virol 2021; 93:5924-5930. [PMID: 34152634 PMCID: PMC8426906 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The introduction of trained sniffer dogs for COVID‐19 detection could be an opportunity, as previously described for other diseases. Dogs could be trained to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the whiff of COVID‐19. Dogs involved in the study were three, one male and two females from different breeds, Black German Shepherd, German Shepherd, and Dutch Shepherd. The training was performed using sweat samples from SARS‐CoV2 positive patients and from SARS‐Cov2 free patients admitted at the University Hospital Campus Bio‐medico of Rome. Gauze with sweat was collected in a glass jar with a metal top and put in metal boxes used for dog training. The dog training protocol was performed in two phases: the olfactory conditioning and the olfactory discrimination research. The training planning was focused on the switch moment for the sniffer dog, the moment when the dog was able to identify VOCs specific for COVID‐19. At this time, the dog was able to identify VOCs specific for COVID‐19 with significant reliability, in terms of the number of correct versus incorrect (p < 0.0001) reporting. In conclusion, this protocol could provide a useful tool for sniffer dogs' training and their introduction in a mass screening context. It could be cheaper and faster than a conventional testing method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Angeletti
- Unit of Clinical Laboratory Science, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Spoto
- Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giorgia Mansi
- Department of Emergency, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marina De Cesaris
- Unit of Clinical Laboratory Science, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Sartea
- Head of the Drive In Area, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Giovanetti
- Laboratório de Flavivírus, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marta Fogolari
- Unit of Clinical Laboratory Science, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Plescia
- K9 Unit SecurityDogs, NGS Private Security Company, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Massimo Ciccozzi
- Unit of Medical Statistics and Molecular Epidemiology, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
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21
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D'Aniello B, Pinelli C, Varcamonti M, Rendine M, Lombardi P, Scandurra A. COVID Sniffer Dogs: Technical and Ethical Concerns. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:669712. [PMID: 34235201 PMCID: PMC8255683 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.669712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Biagio D'Aniello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudia Pinelli
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Mario Varcamonti
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marcello Rendine
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Pietro Lombardi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Scandurra
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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22
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Lippi G, Mattiuzzi C, Henry BM. Are sniffer dogs a reliable approach for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 8:446-449. [PMID: 33873262 DOI: 10.1515/dx-2021-0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite inter-individual variations in their diagnostic efficiency, dogs have been trained to investigate many human pathologies, especially cancer, diabetes, migraine, seizures and even infectious diseases. To this end, we performed a critical review and pooled analysis of current scientific literature on the performance of dogs trained for identifying severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive human specimens. METHODS We carried out an electronic search in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science with the keywords "dog(s)" AND "sniffer" OR "scent" OR "smell" AND "SARS-CoV-2" OR "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" OR "coronavirus disease 2019" OR "COVID-19" within all fields, without date or language restrictions, to identify studies describing dogs' performance for identifying SARS-CoV-2 infected material. RESULTS Three studies could be finally included in pooled analysis, totaling 17 dogs (47% females), aged between 0.5 and 12 years. The pooled diagnostic sensitivity was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.84-0.91; I 2, 85.3%), the diagnostic specificity 0.99 (95% CI, 0.99-0.99; I 2, 97.4%), whilst the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) was 0.979 (standard error, 0.003). CONCLUSIONS The notable performance observed in this pooled analysis would persuade us to suggest that adequately trained dogs could represent an intriguing and sustainable resource for purposes of rapid SARS-CoV-2 mass screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Lippi
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Camilla Mattiuzzi
- Service of Clinical Governance, Provincial Agency for Social and Sanitary Services, Trento, Italy
| | - Brandon M Henry
- Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, The Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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23
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Essler JL, Kane SA, Nolan P, Akaho EH, Berna AZ, DeAngelo A, Berk RA, Kaynaroglu P, Plymouth VL, Frank ID, Weiss SR, Odom John AR, Otto CM. Discrimination of SARS-CoV-2 infected patient samples by detection dogs: A proof of concept study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250158. [PMID: 33852639 PMCID: PMC8046346 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
While the world awaits a widely available COVID-19 vaccine, availability of testing is limited in many regions and can be further compounded by shortages of reagents, prolonged processing time and delayed results. One approach to rapid testing is to leverage the volatile organic compound (VOC) signature of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Detection dogs, a biological sensor of VOCs, were utilized to investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 positive urine and saliva patient samples had a unique odor signature. The virus was inactivated in all training samples with either detergent or heat treatment. Using detergent-inactivated urine samples, dogs were initially trained to find samples collected from hospitalized patients confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 infection, while ignoring samples collected from controls. Dogs were then tested on their ability to spontaneously recognize heat-treated urine samples as well as heat-treated saliva from hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 positive patients. Dogs successfully discriminated between infected and uninfected urine samples, regardless of the inactivation protocol, as well as heat-treated saliva samples. Generalization to novel samples was limited, particularly after intensive training with a restricted sample set. A unique odor associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection present in human urine as well as saliva, provides impetus for the development of odor-based screening, either by electronic, chemical, or biological sensing methods. The use of dogs for screening in an operational setting will require training with a large number of novel SARS-CoV-2 positive and confirmed negative samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Essler
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Sarah A. Kane
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Pat Nolan
- Tactical Directional Canine, Smithsburg, MD, United States of America
| | - Elikplim H. Akaho
- Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Amalia Z. Berna
- Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Annemarie DeAngelo
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Richard A. Berk
- Department of Criminology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Department of Statistics, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Patricia Kaynaroglu
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Victoria L. Plymouth
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Ian D. Frank
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Susan R. Weiss
- Department of Microbiology, Penn Center for Research on Coronaviruses and Other Emerging Pathogens, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Audrey R. Odom John
- Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Cynthia M. Otto
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
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24
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Steppert C, Steppert I, Sterlacci W, Bollinger T. Rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection by multicapillary column coupled ion mobility spectrometry (MCC-IMS) of breath. A proof of concept study. J Breath Res 2021; 15. [PMID: 33578396 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/abe5ca] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There is an urgent need for screening of patients having a communicable viral disease to cut infection chains. Recently we could demonstrate that ion mobility spectrometry coupled with a multicapillary column (MCC-IMS) is able to identify Influenza-A infections in patients' breath. With decreasing Influenza epidemic and upcoming SARS-CoV-2 infections we proceeded further and analysed patients with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infections. In this study, nasal breath of 75 patients (34m, 41f, aged 64.4 ± 15.4 years) was investgated by MCC-IMS for viral infections. 14 were positively diagnosed for Influenza-A infection and 16 for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal swabs. In one patient RT-PCR was highly suspicious of SARS-CoV-2 but initially inconclusive. The remaining 44 patients served as controls. Breath fingerprints for specific infections were assessed by a combination of cluster analysis and multivariate statistics. There was no significant difference in gender or age according to the groups. In the cross validation of the discriminant analysis 72 of the 74 patients could be correctly classified to the respective group. Even the inconclusive patient could be mapped to the SARS-CoV-2 group applying the discrimination functions. Conclusion: MCC-IMS is able to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection and Influenza-A infection in breath in this pilot study. As this method provides a fast non-invasive diagnosis it should be further developed in a larger cohort for screening of communicable viral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus Steppert
- Pulmonology, Thoracic Oncology, regiomed Hospital Group, Ketschendorfer Str. 33, Coburg, Coburg, Bayern, 96450, GERMANY
| | - Isabel Steppert
- Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl Liebknecht Straße 24-25, Potsdam, Brandenburg, 14476, GERMANY
| | - William Sterlacci
- Pathology, Klinikum Bayreuth GmbH, Preuschwitzer Straße 101, Bayreuth, 95445, GERMANY
| | - Thomas Bollinger
- Microbiology, Laboratory Medicine, , Klinikum Bayreuth GmbH, Preuschwitzer Straße 101, Bayreuth, 95445, GERMANY
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25
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Sharun K, Jose B, Tiwari R, Natesan S, Dhama K. Biodetection dogs for COVID-19: an alternative diagnostic screening strategy. Public Health 2021; 197:e10-e12. [PMID: 33618893 PMCID: PMC7817409 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2020.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K Sharun
- Division of Surgery, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly 243 122, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - B Jose
- Division of Physiology & Climatology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly 243 122, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - R Tiwari
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Uttar Pradesh Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura 281001, India
| | - S Natesan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar, Lekawada, Ganghinagar, Gujarat 382042, India
| | - K Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly 243 122, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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26
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Jones RT, Guest C, Lindsay SW, Kleinschmidt I, Bradley J, Dewhirst S, Last A, Logan JG. Could bio-detection dogs be used to limit the spread of COVID-19 by travellers? J Travel Med 2020; 27:taaa131. [PMID: 32789466 PMCID: PMC7454791 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taaa131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 epidemic has had an unprecedented impact on the tourism sector. Trained disease detection dogs could be used for non-invasive screening at border entry points to reduce the likelihood of re-introduction of SARS-CoV-2 and limit the need for the self-isolation of all passengers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert T Jones
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
| | | | | | - Immo Kleinschmidt
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
| | - John Bradley
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
| | | | - Anna Last
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
| | - James G Logan
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
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27
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Can the detection dog alert on COVID-19 positive persons by sniffing axillary sweat samples? A proof-of-concept study. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243122. [PMID: 33301539 PMCID: PMC7728218 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to evaluate if trained dogs could discriminate between sweat samples from symptomatic COVID-19 positive individuals (SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive) and those from asymptomatic COVID-19 negative individuals. The study was conducted at 2 sites (Paris, France, and Beirut, Lebanon), followed the same training and testing protocols, and involved six detection dogs (three explosive detection dogs, one search and rescue dog, and two colon cancer detection dogs). A total of 177 individuals were recruited for the study (95 symptomatic COVID-19 positive and 82 asymptomatic COVID-19 negative individuals) from five hospitals, and one underarm sweat sample per individual was collected. The dog training sessions lasted between one and three weeks. Once trained, the dog had to mark the COVID-19 positive sample randomly placed behind one of three or four olfactory cones (the other cones contained at least one COVID-19 negative sample and between zero and two mocks). During the testing session, a COVID-19 positive sample could be used up to a maximum of three times for one dog. The dog and its handler were both blinded to the COVID-positive sample location. The success rate per dog (i.e., the number of correct indications divided by the number of trials) ranged from 76% to 100%. The lower bound of the 95% confidence interval of the estimated success rate was most of the time higher than the success rate obtained by chance after removing the number of mocks from calculations. These results provide some evidence that detection dogs may be able to discriminate between sweat samples from symptomatic COVID-19 individuals and those from asymptomatic COVID-19 negative individuals. However, due to the limitations of this proof-of-concept study (including using some COVID-19 samples more than once and potential confounding biases), these results must be confirmed in validation studies.
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28
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Canine Olfactory Detection of a Non-Systemic Phytobacterial Citrus Pathogen of International Quarantine Significance. ENTROPY 2020; 22:e22111269. [PMID: 33287037 PMCID: PMC7712947 DOI: 10.3390/e22111269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
For millennia humans have benefitted from application of the acute canine sense of smell to hunt, track and find targets of importance. In this report, canines were evaluated for their ability to detect the severe exotic phytobacterial arboreal pathogen Xanthomonas citri pv. citri (Xcc), which is the causal agent of Asiatic citrus canker (Acc). Since Xcc causes only local lesions, infections are non-systemic, limiting the use of serological and molecular diagnostic tools for field-level detection. This necessitates reliance on human visual surveys for Acc symptoms, which is highly inefficient at low disease incidence, and thus for early detection. In simulated orchards the overall combined performance metrics for a pair of canines were 0.9856, 0.9974, 0.9257 and 0.9970, for sensitivity, specificity, precision, and accuracy, respectively, with 1–2 s/tree detection time. Detection of trace Xcc infections on commercial packinghouse fruit resulted in 0.7313, 0.9947, 0.8750, and 0.9821 for the same performance metrics across a range of cartons with 0–10% Xcc-infected fruit despite the noisy, hot and potentially distracting environment. In orchards, the sensitivity of canines increased with lesion incidence, whereas the specificity and overall accuracy was >0.99 across all incidence levels; i.e., false positive rates were uniformly low. Canines also alerted to a range of 1–12-week-old infections with equal accuracy. When trained to either Xcc-infected trees or Xcc axenic cultures, canines inherently detected the homologous and heterologous targets, suggesting they can detect Xcc directly rather than only volatiles produced by the host following infection. Canines were able to detect the Xcc scent signature at very low concentrations (10,000× less than 1 bacterial cell per sample), which implies that the scent signature is composed of bacterial cell volatile organic compound constituents or exudates that occur at concentrations many fold that of the bacterial cells. The results imply that canines can be trained as viable early detectors of Xcc and deployed across citrus orchards, packinghouses, and nurseries.
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29
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Steppert C, Steppert I, Bollinger T, Sterlacci W. Rapid non-invasive detection of Influenza-A-infection by multicapillary column coupled ion mobility spectrometry. J Breath Res 2020; 15:011001. [PMID: 33089824 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/abb762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Infectious pathogens are a global issue. Global air travel offers an easy and fast opportunity not only for people but also for infectious diseases to spread around the world within a few days. Also, large public events facilitate increasing infection numbers. Therefore, rapid on-site screening for infected people is urgently needed. Due to the small size and easy handling, ion mobility spectrometry coupled with a multicapillary column (MCC-IMS) is a very promising, sensitive method for the on-site identification of infectious pathogens based on scents, representing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The purpose of this study was to prospectively assess whether identification of Influenza-A-infection based on VOCs by MCC-IMS is possible in breath. Nasal breath was investigated in 24 consecutive persons with and without Influenza-A-infection by MCC-IMS. In 14 Influenza-A-infected patients, infection was proven by PCR of nasopharyngeal swabs. Four healthy staff members and six patients with negative PCR result served as controls. For picking up relevant VOCs in MCC-IMS spectra, software based on cluster analysis followed by multivariate statistical analysis was applied. With only four VOCs canonical discriminant analysis was able to distinguish Influenza-A-infected patients from those not infected with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity. This present proof-of-concept-study yields encouraging results showing a rapid diagnosis of viral infections in nasal breath within 5 min by MCC-IMS. The next step is to validate the results with a greater number of patients with Influenza-A-infection as well as other viral diseases, especially COVID-19. Registration number at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04282135.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus Steppert
- Department of Pulmonology and Thoracic Oncology, Bayreuth General Hospital, Bayreuth, Germany
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30
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Jendrny P, Schulz C, Twele F, Meller S, von Köckritz-Blickwede M, Osterhaus ADME, Ebbers J, Pilchová V, Pink I, Welte T, Manns MP, Fathi A, Ernst C, Addo MM, Schalke E, Volk HA. Scent dog identification of samples from COVID-19 patients - a pilot study. BMC Infect Dis 2020; 20:536. [PMID: 32703188 PMCID: PMC7376324 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-020-05281-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, early, ideally real-time, identification of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals is pivotal in interrupting infection chains. Volatile organic compounds produced during respiratory infections can cause specific scent imprints, which can be detected by trained dogs with a high rate of precision. METHODS Eight detection dogs were trained for 1 week to detect saliva or tracheobronchial secretions of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in a randomised, double-blinded and controlled study. RESULTS The dogs were able to discriminate between samples of infected (positive) and non-infected (negative) individuals with average diagnostic sensitivity of 82.63% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 82.02-83.24%) and specificity of 96.35% (95% CI: 96.31-96.39%). During the presentation of 1012 randomised samples, the dogs achieved an overall average detection rate of 94% (±3.4%) with 157 correct indications of positive, 792 correct rejections of negative, 33 incorrect indications of negative or incorrect rejections of 30 positive sample presentations. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary findings indicate that trained detection dogs can identify respiratory secretion samples from hospitalised and clinically diseased SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals by discriminating between samples from SARS-CoV-2 infected patients and negative controls. This data may form the basis for the reliable screening method of SARS-CoV-2 infected people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Jendrny
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Claudia Schulz
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Friederike Twele
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sebastian Meller
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | - Veronika Pilchová
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Isabell Pink
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Tobias Welte
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Anahita Fathi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical-Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department for Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Hamburg-Lübeck, Borstel-Riems, Germany
| | - Christiane Ernst
- Central Institute of Medical Service, German Armed Forces, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Marylyn Martina Addo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical-Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department for Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Hamburg-Lübeck, Borstel-Riems, Germany
| | - Esther Schalke
- Bundeswehr School of Dog handling, German Armed Forces, Ulmen, Germany
| | - Holger Andreas Volk
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
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31
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Lazarowski L, Krichbaum S, DeGreeff LE, Simon A, Singletary M, Angle C, Waggoner LP. Methodological Considerations in Canine Olfactory Detection Research. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:408. [PMID: 32766296 PMCID: PMC7379233 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dogs are increasingly used in a wide range of detection tasks including explosives, narcotics, medical, and wildlife detection. Research on detection dog performance is important to understand olfactory capabilities, behavioral characteristics, improve training, expand deployment practices, and advance applied canine technologies. As such, it is important to understand the influence of specific variables on the quantification of detection dog performance such as test design, experimental controls, odor characteristics, and statistical analysis. Methods for testing canine scent detection vary influencing the outcome metrics of performance and the validity of results. Operators, management teams, policy makers, and law enforcement rely on scientific data to make decisions, design policies, and advance canine technologies. A lack of scientific information and standardized protocols in the detector dog industry adds difficulty and inaccuracies when making informed decisions about capability, vulnerability, and risk analysis. Therefore, the aim of this review is to highlight important methodological issues and expand on considerations for conducting scientifically valid detection dog research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Lazarowski
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Sarah Krichbaum
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States.,Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Lauryn E DeGreeff
- Chemistry Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Alison Simon
- AGS Forensics, LLC, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Melissa Singletary
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Craig Angle
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - L Paul Waggoner
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
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Katsarou K, Bardani E, Kallemi P, Kalantidis K. Viral Detection: Past, Present, and Future. Bioessays 2019; 41:e1900049. [PMID: 31441081 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Viruses are essentially composed of a nucleic acid (segmented or not, DNA, or RNA) and a protein coat. Despite their simplicity, these small pathogens are responsible for significant economic and humanitarian losses that have had dramatic consequences in the course of human history. Since their discovery, scientists have developed different strategies to efficiently detect viruses, using all possible viral features. Viruses shape, proteins, and nucleic acid are used in viral detection. In this review, the development of these techniques, especially for plant and mammalian viruses, their strengths and weaknesses as well as the latest cutting-edge technologies that may be playing important roles in the years to come are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantina Katsarou
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, GR-70013, Greece.,Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, GR-70013, Greece
| | - Eirini Bardani
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, GR-70013, Greece
| | - Paraskevi Kallemi
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, GR-70013, Greece
| | - Kriton Kalantidis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, GR-70013, Greece.,Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, GR-70013, Greece
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Concha AR, Guest CM, Harris R, Pike TW, Feugier A, Zulch H, Mills DS. Canine Olfactory Thresholds to Amyl Acetate in a Biomedical Detection Scenario. Front Vet Sci 2019; 5:345. [PMID: 30723722 PMCID: PMC6350102 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dogs' abilities to respond to concentrations of odorant molecules are generally deemed superior to electronic sensors. This sensitivity has been used traditionally in many areas; but is a more recent innovation within the medical field. As a bio-detection sensor for human diseases such as cancer and infections, dogs often need to detect volatile organic compounds in bodily fluids such as urine and blood. Although the limits of olfactory sensitivity in dogs have been studied since the 1960s, there is a gap in our knowledge concerning these limits in relation to the concentration of odorants presented in a fluid phase. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate olfactory detection thresholds to an inert substance, amyl acetate presented in a liquid phase. Ten dogs were trained in a “Go/No go” single scent-detection task using an eight-choice carousel apparatus. They were trained to respond to the presence of solutions of amyl acetate diluted to varying degrees in mineral oil by sitting in front of the positive sample, and not responding to the 7 other control samples. Training and testing took place in an indoor room with the same handler throughout using a food reward. After 30 weeks of training, using a forward chaining technique, dogs were tested for their sensitivity. The handler did not assist the dog during the search and was blind to the concentration of amyl acetate tested and the position of the target in the carousel. The global olfactory threshold trend for each dog was estimated by fitting a least-squares logistic curve to the association between the proportion of true positives and amyl acetate concentration. Results show an olfactory detection threshold for fluid mixtures ranging from 40 parts per billion to 1.5 parts per trillion. There was considerable inter-dog difference in sensitivity, even though all dogs were trained in the same way and worked without the assistance of the handler. This variation highlights factors to be considered in future work assessing olfactory detection performance by dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid R Concha
- Animal Scent Detection Consultancy and Research, Santiago, Chile.,School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom
| | | | - Rob Harris
- Medical Detection Dogs, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas W Pike
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom
| | | | - Helen Zulch
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom.,Dog Trust, London, United Kingdom
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Staymates ME, MacCrehan WA, Staymates JL, Kunz RR, Mendum T, Ong TH, Geurtsen G, Gillen GJ, Craven BA. Biomimetic Sniffing Improves the Detection Performance of a 3D Printed Nose of a Dog and a Commercial Trace Vapor Detector. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36876. [PMID: 27906156 PMCID: PMC5131614 DOI: 10.1038/srep36876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Unlike current chemical trace detection technology, dogs actively sniff to acquire an odor sample. Flow visualization experiments with an anatomically-similar 3D printed dog's nose revealed the external aerodynamics during canine sniffing, where ventral-laterally expired air jets entrain odorant-laden air toward the nose, thereby extending the "aerodynamic reach" for inspiration of otherwise inaccessible odors. Chemical sampling and detection experiments quantified two modes of operation with the artificial nose-active sniffing and continuous inspiration-and demonstrated an increase in odorant detection by a factor of up to 18 for active sniffing. A 16-fold improvement in detection was demonstrated with a commercially-available explosives detector by applying this bio-inspired design principle and making the device "sniff" like a dog. These lessons learned from the dog may benefit the next-generation of vapor samplers for explosives, narcotics, pathogens, or even cancer, and could inform future bio-inspired designs for optimized sampling of odor plumes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E. Staymates
- Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
| | - William A. MacCrehan
- Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
| | - Jessica L. Staymates
- Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
| | - Roderick R. Kunz
- Chemical, Microsystem, and Nanoscale Technologies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Thomas Mendum
- Chemical, Microsystem, and Nanoscale Technologies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Ta-Hsuan Ong
- Chemical, Microsystem, and Nanoscale Technologies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Geoffrey Geurtsen
- Chemical, Microsystem, and Nanoscale Technologies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Greg J. Gillen
- Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
| | - Brent A. Craven
- Division of Applied Mechanics, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
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Angle C, Waggoner LP, Ferrando A, Haney P, Passler T. Canine Detection of the Volatilome: A Review of Implications for Pathogen and Disease Detection. Front Vet Sci 2016; 3:47. [PMID: 27446935 PMCID: PMC4919317 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2016.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The volatilome is the entire set of volatile organic compounds (VOC) produced by an organism. The accumulation of VOC inside and outside of the body reflects the unique metabolic state of an organism. Scientists are developing technologies to non-invasively detect VOC for the purposes of medical diagnosis, therapeutic monitoring, disease outbreak containment, and disease prevention. Detection dogs are proven to be a valuable real-time mobile detection technology for the detection of VOC related to explosives, narcotics, humans, and many other targets of interests. Little is known about what dogs are detecting when searching for biological targets. It is important to understand where biological VOC originates and how dogs might be able to detect biological targets. This review paper discusses the recent scientific literature involving VOC analysis and postulates potential biological targets for canine detection. Dogs have shown their ability to detect pathogen and disease-specific VOC. Future research will determine if dogs can be employed operationally in hospitals, on borders, in underserved areas, on farms, and in other operational environments to give real-time feedback on the presence of a biological target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Angle
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University , Auburn, AL , USA
| | - Lowell Paul Waggoner
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University , Auburn, AL , USA
| | - Arny Ferrando
- Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences , Little Rock, AR , USA
| | - Pamela Haney
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University , Auburn, AL , USA
| | - Thomas Passler
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University , Auburn, AL , USA
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