Sniffer dogs could detect malaria in people: Study
Scientists say they have trained dogs to sniff out tell-tale aromas of malaria using clothes from people infected with the deadly disease.
Freya, a Springer Spaniel, is one of the dogs who has been trained to sniff out the scent of malaria, said researchers from Durham University in the UK.
Freya's highly sensitive nose could help provide the first non-invasive test for the disease, they said.
Sniffer dogs could potentially be deployed at ports of entry to identify passengers carrying malaria to prevent the spread of the disease across borders and to ensure people receive timely antimalarial treatment.
"While our findings are at an early stage, in principle we have shown that dogs could be trained to detect malaria infected people by their odour with a credible degree of accuracy," said Steve Lindsay, a professor at Durham University.
"This could provide a non-invasive way of screening for the disease at ports of entry in a similar way to how sniffer dogs are routinely used to detect fruit and vegetables or drugs at airports," Lindsay said.
"This could help prevent the spread of malaria to countries that have been declared malaria free and also ensure that people, many of whom might be unaware that they are infected with the malaria parasite, receive antimalarial drug treatment for the disease," he said.