An evaluation of a canine dry wipe decontamination kit.

Introduction: Decontamination of working dogs at the point of exposure is critical for military, law enforcement, and search and rescue operations in austere or hazardous environments where water may be scarce and conventional wet decontamination poses logistical and safety challenges. Prototype dry (waterless) wipe decontamination kits were evaluated for efficacy in removing a surrogate contaminant (GloGerm™) when used by canine handler teams performing total body field decontaminations. The prototype kit procedures employed a sequence of three microfiber towel types: (1) dry, to remove gross contaminants; (2) wet, saturated with a surfactant to clean away residual contaminants; and, (3) dry, to remove final contamination and residual surfactant. Several variables were investigated to refine the final design, test the effectiveness of decontamination at different anatomical locations on the canine, and evaluate the handlers' success in removing the surrogate contaminant after reading the instructional pamphlet alone versus having the instructions and receiving in-person training on kit use. Methods: Three form factors (single towel, multi-towel small, and multi-towel large) and simulated contamination at three anatomical regions (back, inguinal, and forelimb) were tested by 64 canine handler teams randomized to "trained" (15-min verbal instruction plus pamphlet) or "untrained" (pamphlet only) groups. Results: Across all form factors and training groups, mean removal efficiencies were highest on the back (91.38% ± 0.18), followed by the forelimb (82.04% ± 0.26) and inguinal region (70.15% ± 0.31). No statistically significant differences were observed among the form factors or training variables. Average decontamination time was 9 min and 24 s (range = 3 min 4 s to 26 min 0 s). Discussion: Dry wipe decontamination can provide rapid and effective removal of contaminants without water, improving canine and handler safety and enabling early intervention at the point of exposure prior to additional wet decontamination or medical treatment when necessary. Personnel with minimal training can effectively conduct dry wipe decontamination.