The Science Life Animals

With a little convincing, rats can detect tuberculosis

Rodents that excel at detecting land mines could make a difference in a widespread disease

African pouch rat

SENSITIVE SCHNOZ  African giant pouched rats are trained to sniff sputum in the lab and pause at TB-infected samples.

APOPO

By Yao-Hua Law

What do land mines and tuberculosis have in common? Both kill people in developing countries — and both can be sniffed out by rodents that grow up to 3 feet, head to tail.

Since 2000, the international nonprofit APOPO has partnered with Tanzania’s Sokoine University of Agriculture to train African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei) to pick up the scent of TNT in land mines.