Paula Jendrny1, Friederike Twele1, Sebastian Meller1, Claudia Schulz2, Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede2,3, Albertus Dominicus Marcellinus Eras Osterhaus2, Hans Ebbers4, Janek Ebbers4, Veronika Pilchová2, Isabell Pink5, Tobias Welte5, Michael Peter Manns6, Anahita Fathi7,8,9, Marylyn Martina Addo7,8,9, Christiane Ernst10, Wencke Schäfer11, Michael Engels11, Anja Petrov12, Katharina Marquart12, Ulrich Schotte12, Esther Schalke11, Holger Andreas Volk13. 1. Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559, Hannover, Germany. 2. Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany. 3. Department of Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany. 4. KynoScience UG, Am Teutohang 51, 48477, Hörstel, Germany. 5. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany. 6. Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany. 7. Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical-Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany. 8. Department for Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany. 9. German Center for Infection Research, Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Germany. 10. Bundeswehr Medical Service Headquarters, Koblenz, Germany. 11. Bundeswehr School of Dog handling, Gräfin-Maltzan-Kaserne, Hochstraße, 56766, Ulmen, Germany. 12. Central Institute of the Bundeswehr Medical Service Kiel, Kronshagen, Germany. 13. Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559, Hannover, Germany. holger.volk@tiho-hannover.de.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The main strategy to contain the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic remains to implement a comprehensive testing, tracing and quarantining strategy until vaccination of the population is adequate. Scent dogs could support current testing strategies. METHODS: Ten dogs were trained for 8 days to detect SARS-CoV-2 infections in beta-propiolactone inactivated saliva samples. The subsequent cognitive transfer performance for the recognition of non-inactivated samples were tested on three different body fluids (saliva, urine, and sweat) in a randomised, double-blind controlled study. RESULTS: Dogs were tested on a total of 5242 randomised sample presentations. Dogs detected non-inactivated saliva samples with a diagnostic sensitivity of 84% (95% CI: 62.5-94.44%) and specificity of 95% (95% CI: 93.4-96%). In a subsequent experiment to compare the scent recognition between the three non-inactivated body fluids, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 95% (95% CI: 66.67-100%) and 98% (95% CI: 94.87-100%) for urine, 91% (95% CI: 71.43-100%) and 94% (95% CI: 90.91-97.78%) for sweat, 82% (95% CI: 64.29-95.24%), and 96% (95% CI: 94.95-98.9%) for saliva respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The scent cognitive transfer performance between inactivated and non-inactivated samples as well as between different sample materials indicates that global, specific SARS-CoV-2-associated volatile compounds are released across different body secretions, independently from the patient's symptoms. All tested body fluids appear to be similarly suited for reliable detection of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals.
BACKGROUND: The main strategy to contain the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic remains to implement a comprehensive testing, tracing and quarantining strategy until vaccination of the population is adequate. Scent dogs could support current testing strategies. METHODS: Ten dogs were trained for 8 days to detect SARS-CoV-2 infections in beta-propiolactone inactivated saliva samples. The subsequent cognitive transfer performance for the recognition of non-inactivated samples were tested on three different body fluids (saliva, urine, and sweat) in a randomised, double-blind controlled study. RESULTS:Dogs were tested on a total of 5242 randomised sample presentations. Dogs detected non-inactivated saliva samples with a diagnostic sensitivity of 84% (95% CI: 62.5-94.44%) and specificity of 95% (95% CI: 93.4-96%). In a subsequent experiment to compare the scent recognition between the three non-inactivated body fluids, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 95% (95% CI: 66.67-100%) and 98% (95% CI: 94.87-100%) for urine, 91% (95% CI: 71.43-100%) and 94% (95% CI: 90.91-97.78%) for sweat, 82% (95% CI: 64.29-95.24%), and 96% (95% CI: 94.95-98.9%) for saliva respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The scent cognitive transfer performance between inactivated and non-inactivated samples as well as between different sample materials indicates that global, specific SARS-CoV-2-associated volatile compounds are released across different body secretions, independently from the patient's symptoms. All tested body fluids appear to be similarly suited for reliable detection of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals.
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