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Review
. 2022 Apr 4:9:848090.
doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.848090. eCollection 2022.

The Use and Potential of Biomedical Detection Dogs During a Disease Outbreak

Michele N Maughan  1 , Eric M Best  2 , Jenna Dianne Gadberry  3 , Caitlin E Sharpes  1 , Kelley L Evans  4 , Calvin C Chue  4 , Patrick Lawrence Nolan  5 , Patricia E Buckley  4
Affiliations
Review

The Use and Potential of Biomedical Detection Dogs During a Disease Outbreak

Michele N Maughan et al. Front Med (Lausanne). .

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.

Keywords: COVID-19; biomedical detection dog (BMDD); canine; olfactory science; training aid delivery device (TADD); volatile organic compound (VOC); volatilome.

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Conflict of interest statement

MM was the inventor of the training aid delivery device. MM and JG had minority partnerships in SciK9 LLC. MM and CS were employed by Excet, Inc. JG was the owner of Intrinsic24, LLC. PN was the owner of Tactical Directional Canine Systems LLC. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Illustration of biological and medical detection dogs and what they detect. The Biological Detection Dog (BDD) detects the odor of (or odors associated with) the pathogen or etiological agent, while the Medical Detection Dog (MDD) detects the odor of (or odors associated with) the disease state produced by an infected host in response to the pathogen or the altered volatilome due to disease not caused by an infectious agent. Together, BDDs and MDDs can be categorized as Biomedical Detection Dog (BMDDs).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
BMDD deployment scenarios utilized during COVID-19 pandemic. (A) Deployment Scenario 1 illustrates the most basic of deployment scenarios in which a BMDD screens people or environmental samples in an area separated from the disease outbreak. (B) Deployment Scenario 2 illustrates BMDD people screening in the disease outbreak area, yet physically separated from the population. Here, the BMDD is separated by a mesh screen or high efficiency particulate air filter if needed and can screen people through a checkpoint or individually through a lineup or room. (C) Deployment Scenario 3 illustrates the most complex deployment scenario in which a canine team screens people either en masse or in a lineup by being able to directly sniff each individual or group of people.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Selection of canine training aids for biomedical detection dogs.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Training aid delivery device (TADD) breakout diagram (A) and photograph (B).
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
PDMS based Odor-Ab/adsorption canine training aid depicted in a small metal sniffer tin.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Photograph of getxent odor adsorption tube.
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
Cellulose microfiber based filter paper for odor soaks.
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 8
Hierarchy of Controls in the Environmental Health and Safety Paradigm. Attribution: Original version: NIOSH Vector version: Michael Pittman, NIOSH’s “Hierarchy of Controls infographic” as SVG, CC0 1.0.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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