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The research article “Sniffing out safety: canine detection and identification of SARS-CoV-2 infection from armpit sweat” focuses on the use of detection dogs to identify SARS-CoV-2 infection through armpit sweat odor. The study collected sweat samples from positive and negative human patients, confirmed by qPCR tests, across multiple hospitals and organizations in Belgium. These samples were then used to train six dogs under controlled conditions for 2-3 months.
The key findings from the study are:
Training and Validation: The dogs were trained using these samples, and their performance was validated over seven days. The dogs exhibited an overall sensitivity of 81%, a specificity of 98%, and an accuracy of 95%. After validation, training continued for another three months, maintaining the same level of performance.
Context and Need for Rapid Screening: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlighted the need for a fast, reliable, inexpensive, non-invasive, and widely applicable screening method to identify carriers. The limitations of existing diagnostic tests, such as qPCR, include time consumption, cost, and a high rate of false negatives, necessitating alternative methods.
Study Objectives: The primary objectives of this study were to establish a comprehensive biobank for training detection dogs, develop a field-testing protocol, and identify the specific volatiles that make up the characteristic scent of SARS-CoV-2 positive sweat samples.
Canine detection and identification of SARS-CoV-2 infection
Detection of Vaccinated Individuals: The study also included testing sweat samples from vaccinated individuals (who received the Comirnaty vaccine). The dogs could distinguish these samples as unfavorable, indicating that vaccination did not interfere with detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Identification of Specific Volatiles: The research aimed to identify specific volatiles detected by the dogs in positive samples. The study found that SARS-CoV-2 positive samples contained distinct signature volatiles, significantly less in negative samples. This unique scent included a variety of volatiles, such as derivatives of 1-octan-3-ol, DL-3,4-dihydroxymandelic acid, urocanic acid, and octadecyl acetate.
Public Acceptability: A survey conducted in Belgium showed high public acceptability and trust in using detection dogs for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. Most respondents agreed that dogs could be used for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection based on sweat samples. However, there were still some doubts about the trustworthiness of this method compared to the qPCR test.
This research demonstrates the potential of using trained dogs as a rapid, non-invasive, and effective tool for pre-screening and detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection in various settings.
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 Sep 19;10:1185779. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1185779. PMID: 37822474; PMCID: PMC10563588.
