| Title: | Recognition of an Odour Pattern from Paenibacillus larvae Spore Samples by Trained Detection Dogs |
| Author(s): | Thomson N; Taylor M; Gifford P; Sainsbury J; Cross S; |
| Address: | "School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand. The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand. K9 Search Medical Detections, Beaconsfield 4779, New Zealand" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2076-2615 (Print) 2076-2615 (Electronic) 2076-2615 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Spores of the bacteria Paenibacillus larvae play a central role in the transmission of American Foulbrood (AFB), a major disease of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies. This study investigated whether trained detection dogs could recognise an odour pattern from P. larvae spore samples. Although dogs have previously been used to detect diseased larvae in colonies with AFB, this is the first time they have been investigated for detecting P. larvae spore samples. Given that spores are metabolically inactive, it was unknown whether the spore samples would produce enough volatile organic compounds to form an odour pattern that could be detected by dogs. Three dogs were trained to identify laboratory-produced P. larvae spore samples and were systematically desensitized to non-target odours with a series of control samples. Two of the dogs successfully completed training and were then tested by having each dog perform six searches in an odour-detection carousel with the trainer blinded to the location of the spore samples. In this high-stakes forced-choice test, each dog was asked to identify one new spore sample, containing approximately 93-265 million P. larvae spores, from seven control samples. Both dogs correctly identified the spore sample every time (100% success rate); the probability of this result occurring by chance was p = 0.0000038. Therefore, this study demonstrates that dogs can recognise an odour pattern from bacterial spore samples, in this case, P. larvae, and provides proof of concept for further investigation into the use of detection dogs to reduce the spread of AFB in beekeeping businesses" |
| Keywords: | American Foulbrood Paenibacillus larvae apiculture detection dogs odour detection spores volatile organic compounds working dogs; |
| Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINEThomson, Neroli Taylor, Michelle Gifford, Pete Sainsbury, James Cross, Sarah eng SFFF20061/New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures/ 2021/Massey University Working Dog Centre/ Switzerland 2023/01/09 Animals (Basel). 2022 Dec 30; 13(1):154. doi: 10.3390/ani13010154" |
