Veterinarians and researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a new way to detect leptospirosis, a life-threatening bacterial disease, in dogs using artificial intelligence.
Leptospirosis is caused by the Leptospira bacteria, according to American Veterinary Medical Association, and it is typically found in soil and water. Infection in dogs can result in kidney failure, liver disease and bleeding in the lungs, with early detection being a matter of life or death, UC Davis said in a news release.
“Traditional testing for Leptospira lacks sensitivity early in the disease process,” said Krystle Reagan, lead author of the study and a board-certified internal medicine specialist, in the release. Detection of the disease can take more than two weeks, she said, because the test needs to indicate the level of antibodies increasing in a blood sample.
