LUMEN Spring 2022 - Flipbook - Page 10
“Our problem is that PCR tests are very reliable,
but they’re not rapid. RAT tests are obviously
rapid, but they’re not very reliable,”
said Anne-Lise.
With a view to facilitating quick identification
of positive COVID-19 cases, in 2020 Anne-Lise
embarked on a mission to uncover whether dogs
are up to the task of rapid and accurate screening.
Labradors, known for their work ethic and peoplepleasing trait, were identified as an ideal breed
to train.
In the early stages of the pandemic, research
into dogs’ ability to detect COVID-19 had
indicated encouraging results in France. Dogs
can distinguish and remember a vast catalogue
of scents and are already employed to sniff out
narcotics, weapons and currency at airports and
international borders.
Over eight to twelve weeks, Anne-Lise’s chief dog
trainer Alexander Withers first teaches labs to
sniff for a ‘kong’ (the beloved rubber toy) before
they graduate to screening COVID positive and
negative sweat samples.
At the outset of the pandemic, sweat became
an unexpectedly hot commodity, with COVIDpositive sweat samples being shipped to a then
largely COVID-free Australia.
Sweat is an ideal training material, as it is noninfectious and contains volatile organic compounds
which dogs can detect. Later, Anne-Lise’s team
developed a synthetic training aid, a cocktail of
proteins applied to objects such as masks or socks
for training purposes, removing the need for
sweat samples.
The training methodology is based on core
principles of conditioned response and positive
reinforcement. The dogs learn to ‘sit and stare’
when detecting compounds associated with
COVID-19, and are rewarded with a toy or food
when they correctly identify a case.
The results are impressive. Once trained, dogs
have displayed a diagnostic sensitivity from 87.6%
to 100% (that is, their ability to return a positive
result when someone is truly COVID-positive).
Even more precise is the dogs’ diagnostic
specificity (their ability to return a negative result
when a sample is truly negative), which ranges
from 96% to 100%.
Anne-Lise said the dogs have a remarkable
ability to sniff out the virus and can identify both
symptomatic and asymptomatic cases a day earlier
than PCR tests, so long as the sample is taken
during the infectious period.
“Our specially trained dogs fill a gap between the
two conventional testing methods. They are more
reliable than RAT tests, and are faster than PCR
tests,” she said.
8
THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
It begs the question; how and why? Anne-Lise
explained that historically, dogs and their wolf
relatives have found it advantageous to sniff out
weak prey.
“It is widely known that predators will target sick
prey. They are slower, easier to catch, and may
emit an odour that attracts the predator to them,”
she said.
And when it comes to sniffing out disease, it’s not
just COVID-19 dogs can detect.
As early as 1989, anecdotal evidence suggested
dogs can sense melanoma and other cancers.
Other animals exhibit similar capabilities. Bees are
able to detect COVID-19 too, but are predictably
more difficult to train than dogs.
“Rats are used to sniff out tuberculosis in samples
in Africa, and new research shows they can
detect up to 70% more cases in children than the
standard smear test,” said Anne-Lise.
Now, our labs in lab coats are putting their training
into practice.
In partnership with SA Health and SA Pathology,
Anne-Lise and the University of Adelaide have
trialled the dogs’ abilities in airport settings and
have now moved to hospital settings.
Future plans include training nurses from SA
Pathology to handle the dogs, which would allow
the operation to be dramatically upscaled.
According to Anne-Lise, expansion of the project
is essential because even as we strive towards a new
‘COVID normal,’ the dogs still have an important
role to play.
“It’s true that, as a society, we will have to learn to
go about our lives with COVID; but not everyone
can live with COVID. We will still need screening
tools in places that must remain COVID-free, such
as oncology wards,” she said.
Further investment is critical to train and
deploy more dogs. If you would like to
support world-class research into disease
detection and mass screening, we invite you
to donate via give.adelaide.edu.au/
covid-19-detector-dog-program
100% of your gift will fund essential
components of the COVID detector dog
program. From treats and toys to expert
dog trainers, every dollar contributes to
innovative research which will deliver better
health outcomes in Australia.
