A unique team at APOPO in Tanzania is reimagining public health by training African giant pouched rats to sniff out tuberculosis, dramatically increasing the number of patients who receive an accurate diagnosis. For facilities across Tanzania using standard diagnostic tests, these rats added an extra 48% to tuberculosis detection rates, uncovering cases that would have otherwise been missed.
Fast, Sensitive, and Reliable Screening
APOPO’s rats can scan a batch of 100 patient samples in just 20 minutes—something that would require a human technician an entire workday. Their sensitive scent-detection skills allow for quick, reliable secondary screening after initial clinic tests come back negative. All positive finds are verified with laboratory confirmation before treatment starts, helping increase treatment coverage for hard-to-reach communities.
Impact That Ripples Across Borders
Since the program began, these rats have helped diagnose over 30,000 additional tuberculosis patients who were previously sent home undetected. The hero rodents have stepped into a gap, as sub-Saharan Africa’s TB clinics struggle with limited laboratory capacity and persistent disease burden. “Our rats significantly enhance TB case detection rates, particularly in settings where traditional health programs might overlook such cases,” says Dr. Tefera Agizew, Head of TB at APOPO.
With the World Health Organization reporting a global resurgence of tuberculosis and millions still left undiagnosed, APOPO’s innovative approach is gaining recognition as a practical, scalable way to bridge detection gaps. As research and deployment expand, the hope is that these hero rats might play a key role in reducing transmission and saving thousands more lives.
Photo Credit: APOPO
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