South Korea to conduct sniffer dog checks on 234-member delegation returning from Paris Olympics

By Efe Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - To prevent the spread of contagious diseases and pest infections, Korean authorities have decided to conduct sniffer dog checks on the 234-member team and officials returning from the Paris Olympics beginning on Monday.

As the South Korean delegation returns home from Paris, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCPA) has authorized the deployment of sniffer dogs at Incheon International Airport to detect biosecurity risks, reports the Korea Times.

Ceco, a beagle trained to detect bed bugs, has a reported 95% detection accuracy and has been commissioned to help Korea contain infectious diseases.

The brains of dogs like Ceco are 40 times more capable of detecting the unique pheromone smell of bed bugs compared to humans, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The KDCPA has reported no cases thus far, but at least 40 athletes tested positive for COVID-19 at the Paris Olympics, as well as an increase in cases of measles, whooping cough, and syphilis.

The Republic of Korea won 32 medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, 13 of them gold.