Demirbaş, Yasemin SalgırlıKısmalı, GörkemSaral, BegümSareyyüpoğlu, BarışHabiloğlu, Arif DoğanÖztürk, HakanBaş, Bülent2023-07-262023-07-2620231558-7878https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2023.01.002https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12684/12372Medical detection dogs have potential to be used to screen asymptomatic patients in crowded areas at risk of epidemics such as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, the fact that SARS-CoV-2 detection dogs are in direct contact with infected people or materials raises important concerns due to the zoonotic potential of the virus. No study has yet recommended a safety protocol to ensure the health of SARS- CoV-2 detection dogs during training and working in public areas. This study sought to identify suitable decontamination methods to obtain nonpathogenic face mask samples while working with SARS-CoV-2 detection dogs and to investigate whether dogs were able to adapt themselves to other decontamination procedures once they were trained for a specific odor. The present study was designed as a four-phase study: (a) Method development, (b) Testing of decon- tamination methods, (c) Testing of training methodology, and (d) Real life scenario. Surgical face masks were used as scent samples. In total, 3 dogs were trained. The practical use of 3 different decontam- ination procedures (storage, heating, and UV-C light) while training SARS-CoV-2 detection dogs were tested. The dog trained for the task alerted to the samples inactivated by the storage method with a sensitivity of100 % and specificity of 98.28 %. In the last phase of this study, one dog of 2 dogs trained, alerted to the samples inactivated by the UV-C light with a sensitivity of 91.30% and specificity of 97.16% while the other dog detected the sample with a sensitivity of 96.00% and specificity of 97.65 %. © 2023 Elsevier Inc.en10.1016/j.jveb.2023.01.002info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessDecontaminationFace maskMedical detection dogSARS-CoV-2Zoonotic potentialanimal experimentArticlecontrolled studydogfemaleheatingmalenonhumanpolymerase chain reactionSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2storage temperatureultraviolet radiationvirus culturevirus detectionvirus strainArticle607988366281572-s2.0-85146441946WOS:000974983100001Q1Q2