Researchers in Britain and The Gambia say they have the first evidence that dogs can sniff out malaria, a skill that they say could lead to much quicker diagnosis of the killer disease.
The work was done with the charity Medical Detection Dogs.
The dogs were trained to smell the presence of the malaria parasite in infected children by sniffing their clothes.
Blood-sucking mosquitoes, which spread the disease, are thought to be attracted to the parasite's odour.
The researchers say that in addition to screening local communities, sniffer dogs may one day be used at airports to detect malaria carriers to help stop cross-border infection.
<<Print>>