Rodents take on superhero role as they detect tuberculosis-causing bacteria from rows of samples in programme at Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo MAPUTO — Giant rats may strike fear and disgust into the hearts of homeowners worldwide, but researchers in impoverished Mozambique are improbably turning some of them into heroes.At Eduardo Mondlane University in the capital Maputo, nine giant rats are busy at work — sniffing out tuberculosis-causing bacteria from rows of sputum samples.These are no ordinary rats, as they have undergone six months of training in Tanzania. Their most distinguishing asset is their impeccable sense of smell.Placed inside a glass cage, a rat darts from sample to sample, then stops or rubs its legs, indicating that a sample is infected with a tuberculosis-causing bacteria. Once the task is complete, it is given a treat through a syringe for a job well done."Within 30 minutes, the rat can test close to 100 samples, which normally takes a laboratory technic...
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