Specially trained canine companions are now able to identify positive COVID-19 cases faster, earlier and more reliably than any rapid antigen test currently used worldwide.
This Australian initiative is being led by the University of Adelaide.
The university is sharing results with collaborators spanning 22 different countries.
Dr Anne-Lise Chaber, senior lecturer in the University of Adelaide’s School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences has been a part of the initiative to bring furry friends to frontline workers.
“Specially trained dogs are able to sniff out and identify positive COVID-19 cases faster and earlier than PCR and more reliably than the rapid antigen tests currently used.
“Dogs have a remarkable ability to home in on COVID-positive and their strike rate for sniffing out the virus is more than 97 per cent, even in symptom-free cases in controlled settings.”
With more than 10 years experience, Dr Chaber has conducted research on the detection and transmission of multiple diseases, including the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus at the wildlife-livestock-human interface
The widespread use of the sniffer dogs as a rapid and mobile screening tool – at borders, events, and healthcare facilities – offers enormous potential benefits: more families and friends reunited, more businesses kept afloat, more lives saved.
In this exciting first Research Tuesday’s presentation for 2022, people will find out how the training works, how the University is leading efforts to upscale global training capacity, and why this could be a pivotal moment in humanity’s broader fight against infectious disease.
This exciting development means our special companions will continue to play a pivotal role in the fight against COVID-19, hopefully seeing a speedy increase in the identification of positive COVID-19 cases.
To hear more about the event, join in the conversation and join the team in this discussion of this exciting initiative.
Event: Covid pawsitive
Presenter: Dr Anne-Lise Chaber
Date: Tuesday 8th March
Time: 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Braggs Lecture Theatre, University of Adelaide, North Terrace campus. Or register and watch the live Zoom webinar via the Research Tuesdays website https://www.adelaide.edu.au/research/events/research-tuesdays
Free event
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