Rats have an amazing ability to recognize tuberculosis: they distinguish the characteristic smell emanating from the mucus of sick people, according to the online publication for girls and women from 14 to 35 years old Pannochka. net In a new study, experts from Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania) tested how well rats capture the specific smell of TB-infected samples.

They trained giant hamster rats to smell the molecules that tuberculosis pathogens produce during their vital activity.. The rodents then examined sputum samples from 982 African children under 5 years of age..

In parallel, the experts conducted a study of the same samples using a standard test.

A total of 34 cases of the disease were diagnosed using the test.. And the rats were able to detect another 57 children with tuberculosis. All sputum samples were additionally examined by a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to confirm the reliability of the data obtained.. Thus, it turned out that rats detected 68% more cases than the standard method..

aspect. net.