Giant Rat Carolina Retires
Break10 Web Desk: In a remarkable testament to the power of unconventional heroes, Carolina, an African giant pouched rat trained by Belgian non-government organisation Anti-Persoonsmijnen Ontmijnende Product Ontwikkeling (APOPO), recently retired after a distinguished seven-year career detecting tuberculosis (TB) in east Africa.
Carolina’s extraordinary olfactory abilities enabled her to identify more than 3,000 TB cases that traditional diagnostic methods had missed. Given that each untreated TB patient can infect 10 to 15 others, the giant rat Carolina potentially prevented more than 30,000 new infections.
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Working weekdays, Carolina could screen 100 sputum samples in just 20 minutes, a task that would take a human technician up to four days. Her efforts, along with those of her fellow comrades have increased TB detection rates by 40 percent in clinics across Tanzania and Ethiopia.
Her story underscores the potential of innovative, cost-effective solutions in global health, particularly in resource-limited areas. As Carolina enjoys her well-earned retirement, her legacy continues to inspire and pave the way for future advancements in disease detection.
