Beagle Sniffs Out Bacterial Infection
Dec 14, 2012
Reported by Dr. Amish Patel:
A 2-year-old beagle in the Netherlands has been trained to sniff out Clostridium difficile, a skill that could help doctors catch the deadly infection days before laboratory tests.
Clostridium difficile infections often occur in people who are already taking antibiotics, causing symptoms that range from mild diarrhea to severe inflammation of the colon. And to make matters worse, the bug is particularly adept at spreading through hospitals, uncontrolled by the usual surface cleansers.
The clever canine, called Cliff, correctly identified 50 stool samples containing the bacterium, which kills 14,000 Americans each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cliff also identified 47 of 50 stool samples that were Clostridium difficile-free (he couldn’t make up his mind about the last three).
Laboratory tests for Clostridium difficile — dubbed C. diff — can take up to 48 hours. But Cliff gives his answer immediately by sitting or lying down.
“The sooner the clinician has a diagnosis, the better it is,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an expert in infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. “You can also reduce the risk of transmission to other patients.”
Stool from patients with the C. diff has a characteristic smell, often likened to horse manure, which Cliff learned to identify over two months of training. Now he can smell the bug even without the stool, correctly identifying 25 of 30 patients with the infection and 265 of 270 without.
“We’ve always known that dogs make us feel good, but now we know that they’re good for us,” said veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, who is based in Sandpoint, Idaho, and is the author of “The Healing Power of Pets” and a writer for VetStreet.com
Dogs have also been trained to sniff out cancers of the lung, bowel, skin, breast, and bladder with high accuracy, and petting animals can also be therapeutic.
“We use them in our institution, largely in pediatrics, and have brought in reptiles, dogs and even miniature ponies,” said Schaffner.
However, Cliff has struggled with staying focused at work, according to the study authors. A plastic cup, urine on the floor, excited children, and the strong smell of cleaners proved distracting.
“This may not work in the context of much more hectic U.S. hospitals,” said Schaffner. “I don’t think [dogs] will replace [existing laboratory tests].”
But Becker said the healing power of pets should not be underestimated.
“There was a time when you expected to see this kind of stuff in the tabloids,” he said. “Now the science is there to show how it works. What are we going to find next?”
1 comment:
I'm here to give my testimony how I was cured from HIV, I contacted my HIV via blade. A friend of my use blade to peel of her finger nails and drop it where she use it, so after she has left i did know what came unto me i looked at my nails, my nails were very long and I took the blade which she just used on her own nails to cut of my finger nails, as i was maintaining my names, i mistakenly injured myself. I did even bother about it, so when I got to the hospital the next week when i was ill the doctor told me that I am HIV positive, i wondered where did i got it from so i remembered how I use my friend blade to cut off my hand so i feel so sad in my heart to the extent that i don’t even know what to do, so one day i was passing through the internet i met a testimony of a lady that all talk about how she was cured by a doctor called DR Imoloa so i quickly emailed the doctor and he also replied to me and told me the requirements which i will provide and I do according to his command, he prepare a herbal medicine for me which I took. He message me the following week that i should go for a test which i did to my own surprise i found that i was HIV negative. He also have cured for all kinds of incurable diseases like: Huntington's disease, back acne, chronic kidney failure, Addison's disease, Chronic Disease, Crohn's Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Fibromyalgia, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Fungal Nail Disease, Paralysis, Celia Disease , Lymphoma, Major Depression, Malignant Melanoma, Mania, Melorheostosis, Meniere's Disease, Mucopolysaccharidosis, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscle Dystrophy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Alzheimer Disease and so many. Thanks to him once more the great doctor that cured me dr. Imoloa so you can also email him via drimolaherbalmademedicine@gmail.com or what'sapp him on +2347081986098.. God Bless you Sir.
Post a Comment