Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Corrigendum to "Detecting Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile using canine teams: What does the nose know?" [Infect Prev Pract 1 (2019) 100005].

Infection prevention in practice·2021
Same author

Evaluation of a new sink design incorporating ozonated water.

The Journal of hospital infection·2019
Same author

Effect of effort-reward imbalance and burnout on infection control among Ecuadorian nurses.

International nursing review·2017
Same author

Identifying environmental reservoirs of Clostridium difficile with a scent detection dog: preliminary evaluation.

The Journal of hospital infection·2017
Same author

Reply to: Nasal photodisinfection and chlorhexidine: post hoc ergo propter hoc? (J Hosp Infect 2015;90:83-84).

The Journal of hospital infection·2015
Same author

Pilot study to detect airborne Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposure in a South African public healthcare facility outpatient clinic.

The Journal of hospital infection·2015

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Enrichment and Detection of Clostridium perfringens Toxinotypes in Retail Food Samples
08:00

Enrichment and Detection of Clostridium perfringens Toxinotypes in Retail Food Samples

Published on: October 18, 2019

20.5K

Detecting Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile using canine teams: What does the nose know?

M K Charles1, Y Wang2, T Zurberg3

  • 1Division of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Vancouver Coastal Health and University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Infection Prevention in Practice
|August 9, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Trained canines can detect Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile (CD) with high accuracy. However, dogs struggled to differentiate CD from similar bacteria, highlighting the need for specialized training and context for effective detection programs.

Keywords:
CanineClostridioides difficileEnvironmental microbiologyReliability of results

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Coproparasitoscopic Examination of Dog Stools for Control and Prevention of Zoonotic Parasite Diseases
03:46

Author Spotlight: Coproparasitoscopic Examination of Dog Stools for Control and Prevention of Zoonotic Parasite Diseases

Published on: December 15, 2023

3.2K
Cefoperazone-treated Mouse Model of Clinically-relevant Clostridium difficile Strain R20291
06:51

Cefoperazone-treated Mouse Model of Clinically-relevant Clostridium difficile Strain R20291

Published on: December 10, 2016

12.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Enrichment and Detection of Clostridium perfringens Toxinotypes in Retail Food Samples
08:00

Enrichment and Detection of Clostridium perfringens Toxinotypes in Retail Food Samples

Published on: October 18, 2019

20.5K
Author Spotlight: Coproparasitoscopic Examination of Dog Stools for Control and Prevention of Zoonotic Parasite Diseases
03:46

Author Spotlight: Coproparasitoscopic Examination of Dog Stools for Control and Prevention of Zoonotic Parasite Diseases

Published on: December 15, 2023

3.2K
Cefoperazone-treated Mouse Model of Clinically-relevant Clostridium difficile Strain R20291
06:51

Cefoperazone-treated Mouse Model of Clinically-relevant Clostridium difficile Strain R20291

Published on: December 10, 2016

12.8K

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Microbiology
  • Animal Behavior

Background:

  • Trained canines demonstrate potential for detecting Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile (CD) in various environments.
  • The specific odorant cues utilized by canines for CD detection remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the inter-rater reliability of two canine detection teams in distinguishing between CD toxin-positive and -negative scent pads.
  • To evaluate canine ability to discriminate between different clostridial strains based on odor.

Main Methods:

  • Two canine teams underwent weekly testing over six months to detect and differentiate CD-positive and -negative odors.
  • Scent pads were impregnated with odors from reference and clinical isolates of CD and other clostridial species to assess discrimination capabilities.

Main Results:

  • Canine teams achieved high overall sensitivity (94.7% and 86.8%) and specificity (96.9% and 98.7%).
  • Excellent inter-rater reliability was observed (Cohen's kappa = 0.87).
  • Teams correctly identified 96.3% of CD isolates but only 46.7% of closely related species, indicating challenges in discrimination.

Conclusions:

  • Canine teams demonstrated robust inter-rater reliability for detecting CD, including toxin-producing and non-toxin-producing strains.
  • Discrimination between CD and closely related clostridial species presented a challenge for the canine teams.
  • The findings support the development of canine scent detection programs for CD, emphasizing the critical need for proper training and contextual application.