AUTHOR=Ramos Meghan T. , Chang Gerard , Wilson Clara , Gilbertie Jessica , Krieg James , Parvizi Javad , Chen Antonia F. , Otto Cynthia M. , Schaer Thomas P. 

TITLE=Dogs can detect an odor profile associated with Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in cultures and biological samples

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Allergy

VOLUME=5

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/allergy/articles/10.3389/falgy.2024.1275397

DOI=10.3389/falgy.2024.1275397

ISSN=2673-6101

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>The study investigated the utilization of odor detection dogs to identify the odor profile of <italic>Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)</italic> biofilms in pure <italic>in vitro</italic> samples and in <italic>in vivo</italic> biosamples from animals and humans with <italic>S. aureus</italic> periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Biofilms form when bacterial communities aggregate on orthopedic implants leading to recalcitrant infections that are difficult to treat. Identifying PJI biofilm infections is challenging, and traditional microbiological cultures may yield negative results even in the presence of clinical signs.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Dogs were trained on pure <italic>in vitro S. aureus</italic> biofilms and tested on lacrimal fluid samples from an <italic>in vivo</italic> animal model (rabbits) and human patients with confirmed <italic>S. aureus</italic> PJI.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The results demonstrated that dogs achieved a high degree of sensitivity and specificity in detecting the odor profile associated with <italic>S. aureus</italic> biofilms in rabbit samples. Preliminary results suggest that dogs can recognize <italic>S. aureus</italic> volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in human lacrimal fluid samples.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>Training odor detection dogs on <italic>in vitro S. aureus</italic>, may provide an alternative to obtaining clinical samples for training and mitigates biosecurity hazards. The findings hold promise for culture-independent diagnostics, enabling early disease detection, and improved antimicrobial stewardship. In conclusion, this research demonstrates that dogs trained on <italic>in vitro S. aureus</italic> samples can identify the consistent VOC profile of PJI <italic>S. aureus</italic> biofilm infections. The study opens avenues for further investigations into a retained VOC profile of <italic>S. aureus</italic> biofilm infection. These advancements could revolutionize infectious disease diagnosis and treatment, leading to better patient outcomes and addressing the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance.</p></sec>