SNIFF: C. Difficile Canine Scent Detection Program
Vancouver Coastal Health
At Vancouver Coastal Health, an innovative and dedicated team of people and a growing roster of pups known as the C. Difficile Scent Detection Program is pioneering a cost-effective method to improve and enhance C. difficile surveillance and improve infection control and prevention practices.
C. difficile is the most frequent cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitals and long-term care homes. It’s a difficult-to-treat infection that can severely compromise a patient’s health and recovery, and it can lead to serious bowel disease, sepsis and even death. C. difficile spores are resistant to routine cleaning agents, and can live undetected on surfaces for many months. However, the hidden dangers can be detected by the super sensitive canine nose, which can recognize C. difficile with a sensitivity of 100 per cent. Surfaces can then be disinfected, dramatically reducing the rate of transmission by healthcare workers, patients and hospital visitors.
For pioneering an innovative approach to C. difficile detection and infection control that has the potential for widespread impact, Vancouver Coastal Health’s C. Difficile Scent Detection Program has been awarded the Gold Apple for Top Innovation.
Project Team:Dr. Elizabeth Bryce, Dr. Diane Roscoe, Allison Muniak, Teresa Zurberg (Angus), Jaime Kinna (Dodger), Sarah Rothwell, Komathi Ayakar, Markus Zurberg, VGH Environmental Services, VCH Infection Control Practitioners