From pests to tests: training rats to diagnose tuberculosis.

Abstract

2020 is the year of the rat. The rat is the first of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, and represents spirit, alertness, flexibility and vitality. In respiratory medicine, we may think of rats as vectors for diseases, such as pulmonary forms of hantavirus disease or leptospirosis, and pneumonic plague. Rodent control is thus part of hygiene guidelines and the International Health Regulations. And yet, the rat's keen sense of smell has led to its incredible career as a living tuberculosis (TB) detector. It's time… to find and treat all patients with TB. Rats may have a say in research towards better diagnostic tests. <http://bit.ly/2Rioa9N> The authors thank all study participants, clinicians, laboratory and rat handler teams, as well as all partners and donors who enabled the research into training and using TB detection rats. Main partners include the Sokoine University of Agriculture, the National Institute for Medical Research, MKUTA, and the National TB and Leprosy Programme in Tanzania; the University Eduardo Mondlane, the National Institute of Health, Associação Kenguelekezé, the Maputo City Health Authorities and the National TB Program in Mozambique; the Armauer Hansen Research Institute, the German Leprosy and TB Relief Association, the Prison Health Authorities and the National TB Program of Ethiopia; as well as the Technical University Braunschweig and Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Germany, and the University of Antwerp, Belgium.