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Canine Olfactory Detection of Human Disease

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Abstract

For centuries, it has been understood that many human diseases have a characteristic odor. Physicians often came to recognise the odor associated with conditions such as lung infection, diabetes, and typhoid. Dogs have been used by man for their olfactory abilities for many years and are used in a wide variety of disciplines, including the detection of drugs, explosives and currency. In recent years it has been recognised that dogs may be able to assist in the early detection of human disease, notably epileptic seizures. However, it is unclear in this instance whether the dogs are detecting oncoming seizures by smell or by some other means.

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Correspondence to Claire Guest B.Sc., M.Sc., DSc. .

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Guest, C. (2013). Canine Olfactory Detection of Human Disease. In: Grassberger, M., Sherman, R., Gileva, O., Kim, C., Mumcuoglu, K. (eds) Biotherapy - History, Principles and Practice. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6585-6_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6585-6_11

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-007-6584-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6585-6

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