Dogs and Mice Could Be Trained as Roving Biosensors to Sniff Out Disease Before It Spreads, Study Says
The Nose Knows A mouse is rewarded with a drink after sniffing infected duck excrement. Monell Chemical Senses Center Dogs can already sniff out drugs, diabetes, cancer and explosives, and new research suggests they could also be trained to sniff out diseases before they spread. "Biosensor" dogs and mice could be dispatched to airports and other public spaces to sniff out avian influenza and other pathogens, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture study. The key is the animals' keen ability to smell poo. Apparently, excrement from an infected animal smells different from that of a healthy animal. This is the first study to show excrement can be used as a marker for specific illnesses. In the study, announced Tuesday, scientists trained mice to identify the feces of ducks that had been infected with bird flu. Researchers led by Bruce A. Kimball of the USDA placed mice in a maze and...