Super Sniffer Rats Revolutionize Tuberculosis Detection in East Africa
TANZANIA – African giant pouched rats are making headlines in East Africa, where their extraordinary sense of smell is helping to prevent an estimated 400,000 new cases of tuberculosis (TB).
Working in clinics across Tanzania, these trained rodents are dramatically improving detection rates of TB, the world’s deadliest infectious disease, through innovative methods pioneered by the Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection Product Development (APOPO) non-profit organization.
Far from being typical urban rats, African giant pouched rats are intelligent, docile and highly trainable—qualities that make them ideal for lifesaving work.
Carolina, a retired rat who served for seven years, screened over 3,000 samples during her career, improving TB detection rates in her clinic by 40%.
Saliva smear tests traditionally used by humans are only 20-40% effective, but Carolina and her colleagues excel at identifying TB in saliva samples, completing in minutes what scientists take days to process.
Tuberculosis, often dismissed as a relic of the past, continues to claim more lives worldwide than any other infectious pathogen. According to the Good News Network, APOPO’s efforts have not only revolutionized TB detection but also brought hope to vulnerable communities by enabling earlier diagnosis and life-saving treatment.
In addition to their groundbreaking work in TB detection, APOPO’s rats play a vital role in locating landmines in war-affected regions.
These super-sniffers have cleared areas spanning thousands of square miles, making land safer for civilians and communities.
APOPO is a Belgian non-profit organization with headquarters in Tanzania, and it’s known for training rats to detect landmines and tuberculosis.
