Indian Army Dogs Trained To Detect Covid-19 Infection With Use Of Sweat & Urine Samples

With this exercise, the dog unit can help in real-time detection of the Coronavirus which can be useful for the security agencies. Read on.

New Delhi: In an unusual instance, Indian Army dogs have been trained to detect Coronavirus infection with the help of sweat and urine samples, trainer Colonel Surender Saini revealed. 

 "Indian Army dogs trained to detect Covid-19 using sweat and urine samples. Labradors and indigenous breed Chippiparai being trained on urine samples and Cocker Spaniels on sweat samples. Based on samples' data tested till now, sensitivity is over 95 percent": Colonel Surender Saini, the trainer, told news agency ANI.

This may raise questions over whether dogs deployed in this exercise can contract Covid-19, this concern has also been clarified.

"We've conducted trials and operationally deployed dogs. Detection is real-time. Dogs can't get infected as samples used (urine and sweat) are sterile and don't contain the virus. It only contains a volatile metabolic biomarker which is the signature of Covid-19": Colonel Surender Saini added.

A live demonstration of the tests was held by the Army on Monday.

"Scientifically, it is evident that affected body tissues release unique volatile metabolic biomarkers which are used as disease signatures for detection of disease by the medical detection dogs," the Army wrote in a statement. 

With this exercise, the dog unit can help in real-time detection of the Coronavirus infection which can be useful for the security agencies.

(With Agency Inputs)