Posted on 04/05/2020 3:00:21 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Man’s best friend could soon become a lifeline to citizens threatened by the spread of the coronavirus.
A charity, which has previously trained dogs to detect malaria, believes canines might be able to use their powerful sense of smell to detect the disease.
U.K.- based Medical Detection Dogs is working with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Durham University in the collaboration, and, if successful, the animals could be used to identify travelers infected with the virus who are entering a country. They would also be able to be deployed in other public spaces to identify individuals who may be unaware they might be spreading the disease.
For years the charity has been researching the science behind dogs’ sense of smell and believes dogs may be able to detect this latest threat to the world’s health. It has successfully trained dogs to spot diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s and bacterial infections. They are also able to detect subtle changes in the temperature of the skin, so could potentially tell if someone has a fever.
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
/rimshot
Wow. Dogs can do anything.
Sometimes I wonder exactly what other things they’re capable of, but we just haven’t asked, yet.
3-4 hours
Of course I am speaking of my Malinois and how her scent training went.
still breathing?
_________
Yes, I took that comment as pretty crass .... that someone would say that about dogs.
It amazes me that such people even exist.
It’s apparently habitual, too.
Not its first rodeo with the dog slamming.
Gonna take a wild guess and say they really, really despise dogs.
/and I need know nothing more about them
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I hear you.
Nasty words about dogs (or other animals) are completely unnecessary.
It’s pretty easy for them to learn a new target odor. My dachshunds (yes working scent hounds) do competitive scent work and are at the elite level in one organization (NACSW) and detective level in AKC.
I hit send too soon. One of mine is also a blood tracker during deer season, and when I place her on the line where the deer was shoot she is off following that blood trail. Zero confusion about what her “job” is.
Having cared for two beagles in my life I came across this description of them on some pinterest boards. They are basically a nose with 4 legs. :)
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