Cheap, smart and efficient: how giant rats are transforming the fight against TB

An African giant pouched rat used to detect TB bacteria among rows of sputum samples at an Apopo research centre. The rats were first used to detect mines before their exceptional sense of smell was harnessed to combating the infectious disease. Photograph: Adrien Barbier/AFP/Getty Images

Mwajuma Abdalla Ngema went to the clinic in Dar es Salaam with a persistent cough and intense pain around her ribs. The mother of two was tested for tuberculosis (TB) but the result came back negative. “I was given some medication to manage the cough but the pain was unbearable,” says Ngema, who went home feeling frustrated at the lack of clarity over her health.

A few days later, Ngema was called back to Mbagala Kizuiani clinic – she had subsequently tested positive. She was relieved to finally have a diagnosis: “I am currently on medication and on the road to recovery.”