Dogs and their ability to detect diseases through their smelling abilities could be important in efforts to control the spread of the prion disease called chronic wasting disease (CWD). Different diseases, including CWD, have characteristic odors or scents.
CWD is an always fatal neurologic prion disease (similar to mad cow disease) that is slowly spreading through deer,moose, and elk populations throughout the US and Canada. A recent study found that dogs trained to detect the odor of CWD were able to detect CWD in deer feces with over 80% accuracy.
Currently there is no way to detect the disease in animals before symptoms set in. The fear is that while the disease is now limited to deer, moose, and elk, it could make a cross-species jump to humans. (More information)
From CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy): Study: Dogs can detect chronic wasting disease in white-tail deer
Chronic wasting disease, a fatal prion disease found in cervids, can be detected by dogs trained to identify the scent, according to a new study published today in PLoS One. The dogs were able to identify infected deer through feces samples. ...continue reading "Dogs Can Detect The Smell of Chronic Wasting Disease"
There has been a lot of discussion recently over whether or when the Atlantic Ocean current called Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current (AMOC) could collapse soon. The Gulf Stream is part of this current. This critically important current acts like a conveyor belt that brings warm water through the Atlantic Ocean up to the north Atlantic (Europe) and colder, saltier water down to the Southern Hemisphere.
Today is the Summer Solstice! The longest day and the shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.



