TB Sniffing Rats

Tuberculosis Sensing Rats

Rodents Smell TB faster and better than traditional methods

A group of scientists have invented a means of finding Tuberculosis (TB) that outperforms existing detectors.

The rats, managed by a research lab in Belgium, are quite large ... as big as 2 or 3 pounds. They have been trained to smell the Tuberculosis illness.

A rat can find 70 cases in 10 - 15 minutes.  And the recommended limit is 25 per day for current detector animals, because they get tired.

The find the disease by smell, using a specially designed long box with holes that can be opened or shut, in various places, and with a treat dispenser at one end, where the reward is doled out for a successful find.

This lab lends their abilities to places like Mozambique, and is considered a life saving effort.