Training the domestic ferret to discriminate odors associated with wildlife disease.
Recent avian influenza infection outbreaks have resulted in global biosecurity and economic concerns. Mallards are asymptomatic for the disease and can potentially spread AI along migratory bird flyways. In a previous study, trained mice correctly discriminated the health status of individual ducks...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2021-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259415 |
| _version_ | 1818969700821893120 |
|---|---|
| author | Glen J Golden Maryanne Opiekun Talia Martin-Taylor Bruce A Kimball |
| author_facet | Glen J Golden Maryanne Opiekun Talia Martin-Taylor Bruce A Kimball |
| author_sort | Glen J Golden |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent avian influenza infection outbreaks have resulted in global biosecurity and economic concerns. Mallards are asymptomatic for the disease and can potentially spread AI along migratory bird flyways. In a previous study, trained mice correctly discriminated the health status of individual ducks on the basis of fecal odors when feces from post-infection periods were paired with feces from pre-infection periods. Chemical analyses indicated that avian influenza infection was associated with a marked increase of acetoin (3-hydroxy-2-butanone) in feces. In the current study, domesticated male ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) were trained to display a specific conditioned response (i.e. active scratch alert) in response to a marked increase of acetoin in a presentation of an acetoin:1-octen-3-ol solution. Ferrets rapidly generalized this learned response to the odor of irradiated feces from avian influenza infected mallards. These results suggest that a trained mammalian biosensor could be employed in an avian influenza surveillance program. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T14:24:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d62e51ed68f542d2a609ec5894e27037 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T14:24:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-d62e51ed68f542d2a609ec5894e270372022-12-21T19:37:50ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-011611e025941510.1371/journal.pone.0259415Training the domestic ferret to discriminate odors associated with wildlife disease.Glen J GoldenMaryanne OpiekunTalia Martin-TaylorBruce A KimballRecent avian influenza infection outbreaks have resulted in global biosecurity and economic concerns. Mallards are asymptomatic for the disease and can potentially spread AI along migratory bird flyways. In a previous study, trained mice correctly discriminated the health status of individual ducks on the basis of fecal odors when feces from post-infection periods were paired with feces from pre-infection periods. Chemical analyses indicated that avian influenza infection was associated with a marked increase of acetoin (3-hydroxy-2-butanone) in feces. In the current study, domesticated male ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) were trained to display a specific conditioned response (i.e. active scratch alert) in response to a marked increase of acetoin in a presentation of an acetoin:1-octen-3-ol solution. Ferrets rapidly generalized this learned response to the odor of irradiated feces from avian influenza infected mallards. These results suggest that a trained mammalian biosensor could be employed in an avian influenza surveillance program.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259415 |
| spellingShingle | Glen J Golden Maryanne Opiekun Talia Martin-Taylor Bruce A Kimball Training the domestic ferret to discriminate odors associated with wildlife disease. PLoS ONE |
| title | Training the domestic ferret to discriminate odors associated with wildlife disease. |
| title_full | Training the domestic ferret to discriminate odors associated with wildlife disease. |
| title_fullStr | Training the domestic ferret to discriminate odors associated with wildlife disease. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Training the domestic ferret to discriminate odors associated with wildlife disease. |
| title_short | Training the domestic ferret to discriminate odors associated with wildlife disease. |
| title_sort | training the domestic ferret to discriminate odors associated with wildlife disease |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259415 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT glenjgolden trainingthedomesticferrettodiscriminateodorsassociatedwithwildlifedisease AT maryanneopiekun trainingthedomesticferrettodiscriminateodorsassociatedwithwildlifedisease AT taliamartintaylor trainingthedomesticferrettodiscriminateodorsassociatedwithwildlifedisease AT bruceakimball trainingthedomesticferrettodiscriminateodorsassociatedwithwildlifedisease |