Bees detect people infected with coronavirus in seconds

Dutch scientists have developed a method to train the bees so they can identify people infected with covid-19, Wageningen University reported on Monday.

As detailed, insects learn to distinguish carriers because their metabolism (and smell) changes due to disease.

Scientists present bees with positive and negative coronavirus samples, and each time the sample comes from an infected organism, the insects are given a little sugar solution.

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After several repetitions, they begin to associate the sugar with the smell of the positive samples, and they stick their tongue out when they perceive it.

So far, the experiment has been carried out with samples of mink and humans. During the investigation, the insects were found to be able to detect the infection. “with a very low number of false positives and false negatives”.

“A trained bee can detect an infected sample in seconds”, say scientists.

The InsectSense company, which collaborated with the University of Wageningen, “He has already developed prototypes of a machine that can automatically train multiple bees simultaneously and a biosensor that deploys trained bees for diagnostics.”.

Since these insects are accessible all over the world, the technology, called BeeSense, can be “very effective for low-income countries facing difficulties in accessing infrastructure and high technology”, say the researchers.

Source: RT