Dogs can detect cystic fibrosis bacteria by smell

Researchers at Imperial College London have found that dogs can be trained to detect harmful bacteria. They partnered with a group called Medical Detection Dogs to study this skill in dogs. This development is particularly beneficial for people with cystic fibrosis. This genetic disorder causes mucus to build up in the lungs, leading to serious infections. Current detection methods for the bacteria causing these infections are often invasive and expensive. The dogs, like a trained canine named Jodie, offer a new way to detect the bacteria. Their method is non-invasive, efficient, and could potentially be used more often than traditional methods. Dogs have more than 300 million olfactory receptors, which makes their sense of smell extremely strong. In tests, Jodie and other trained dogs accurately identified the bacteria pseudomonas by sniffing samples. When they detected the bacteria, they would sit down to signal their success.