Scientists discovered their talent by having the canines examine dirty socks sent through the mail.
Dogs have been known to sniff out cancer. Their super noses can often act faster than science. And the proud canines can now add more illnesses to their list.
Scientists in the UK and The Gambia in West Africa say they’ve now trained man’s best friend to smell out malaria.
In a study that involved sniffing out the disease from socks worn by infected children, the dogs were able to identify those children with malaria, in seven out of 10 cases.
“Dogs are actually nature’s super-smellers so it is a great gift to have them,” said Chelci Squires of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, to the BBC.
Related: These Words on Facebook Can Indicate Someone is Depressed
“They are much faster than existing rapid diagnostic tests which can take up to 20 minutes and require a fully trained professional to do.”
Scientists are hoping that trained dogs can eventually be used at airports to detect malaria in people who are carrying the disease but don’t have symptoms. It’s an effort to stop the disease from spreading
Malaria has been largely eliminated from the U.S and Canada through the use of insecticide. A handful of cases pop up each year, largely stemming from people who have traveled to other countries and returned home infected.
Malaria is a life-threatening disease that is most often spread through infected mosquitoes. Symptoms include a fever, feeling tired, nausea and headaches.
Photo credits: Kim Reinick/Shutterstock.com
